China ratified the
Montreal Convention 1999 (the Convention) in 2005, marking its twentieth
anniversary this year. Over the past two decades, Chinese courts have
accumulated substantial judicial experience in applying the Convention,
covering a wide array of its provisions and thereby promoting its uniform
application within China. Nevertheless, in areas such as jurisdiction, the
carriage and compensation of special categories of cargo, the distinction and
respective liabilities between freight forwarders and contracting carriers,
there is room for further refinement in Chinese judicial practice. At the same
time, state parties to the Convention should also consider to revise relevant
provisions concerning the carriage of special cargo and arbitration of
cargo-related disputes, in light of the evolving landscape of international air
cargo carriage.