As a result, regulations are frequently at odds with each other. Even though laws and regulations are now routinely published in China, they often leave room for discretionary application either through honest misunderstanding or through selective application or are ignored outright. Officials have sometimes selectively applied regulations against foreign firms. Dispute resolution Skepticism about the independence and professionalism of China's court system and the enforceability of court judgments and awards remains high in the international community. There is a widespread perception that judges, particularly outside China's big cities, are more influenced by local political or business pressures than they are by written regulations or signed contracts.
Few judges have any legal training.
This has often caused both foreign and domestic companies to avoid enforcement actions through the Chinese courts. The Chinese government is moving to establish consistent and reliable mechanisms for dispute resolution through the adoption of improved codes of ethics for lawyers and judges and increased emphasis on the consistent and predictable application of laws. Even in cases where the judiciary or arbitration panels have issued judgments in favor of foreign-invested enterprises, execution of such judgments has sometimes been difficult. Officials responsible for enforcement are often beholden to local interests, and unwilling to enforce court judgments against locally powerful companies or individuals. Selective application Government bureaucracies have sometimes been accused of selectively applying regulations.