Foreign litigants receive equal protection whether they are plaintiffs or defendants in lawsuits in China, judges said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a forum in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Luo Dongchuan, chief judge of the foreign-related cases department at China's top court, said equal protection is the aim and principle when Chinese courts hear cases involving foreigners, "which means foreign litigants should follow Chinese judicial procedures if they appeal to Chinese courts."

Chinese is the only language in trials involving foreigners, but Chinese courts can provide translators if foreign litigants and witnesses request them, Luo said, adding that those who request the service should pay the fees.