Guangdong Maritime efficiently handles major cross-border ship collision disputes

Recently, representatives of the shipowners of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel "Adaline" and the Liberia-flagged vessel "Frontline Eagle" reached a settlement in Guangzhou. This cross-border collision dispute involving foreign vessels, which occurred in the Strait of Hormuz with a claim amount of approximately 180 million yuan, was successfully resolved in less than a year through the coordinated efforts of the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration and Guangzhou Maritime Court. The resolution of this dispute was achieved through a professional closed-loop service combining administrative and judicial efforts, truly realizing a "one-stop" substantive resolution of cross-border maritime disputes, fully demonstrating China's professional capabilities in handling foreign-related maritime matters and its international judicial credibility.

Cross-border dispute reaches an impasse

On June 17, 2025, the "Adaline" and "Frontline Eagle" collided in the Strait of Hormuz near the waters of the United Arab Emirates, causing a fire and damage to the "Adaline."

It is reported that the collision occurred entirely in Middle Eastern waters, with the two involved vessels belonging to shipowners from different countries and having no connection to China. After the accident, Global Shipping Holdings Co., Ltd., the owner of the "Adaline," filed a claim of 168 million yuan against Frontline Eagle Co., Ltd., while Frontline Eagle Co., Ltd. filed a counterclaim of over 10 million yuan against Global Shipping Holdings Co., Ltd. Subsequently, when the "Frontline Eagle" underwent repairs in Shenzhen, the shipowner of the "Adaline," Global Shipping Holdings Co., Ltd., applied to Guangzhou Maritime Court to detain the vessel. The parties chose to establish a connection point in China by detaining the ship and opted to apply Chinese law.

"Whether the resolution of this dispute can convince the parties directly impacts the international reputation of China's maritime investigation industry and serves as a major practical test of the country's comprehensive ability to handle foreign-related maritime matters," said Lü Zhenyang, an authoritative expert in accident investigation from the direct maritime system and captain of the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration's law enforcement team. He explained that key evidence such as hydrological data and ship maneuvering records from the incident area was scattered and complex, making cross-border collection, verification, and analysis challenging.

Multi-party collaboration advances case resolution

To uncover the truth of the accident and fairly resolve the cross-border dispute, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration promptly activated the cross-departmental coordination mechanism of its "one-stop" maritime traffic accident resolution center. Under the leadership of the administration's deputy director, a special task force was formed, integrating key personnel from maritime investigation, navigation analysis, ocean-going vessel technology, and foreign-related maritime regulations. The team focused on evidence verification and technical analysis, while strengthening coordination between maritime administrative investigations and judicial proceedings, thereby minimizing the time required to resolve the cross-border dispute and reducing the cost of rights protection for foreign enterprises.

Maritime investigation experts immersed themselves in the meticulous work of sorting through vast amounts of cross-border data, retrieving official nautical charts of the Strait of Hormuz, navigation order records, hydrological and meteorological data of the area, and systematically analyzing the navigation trajectories, maneuvering records, and equipment operation data of the two vessels. They verified the authenticity, legality, and relevance of each piece of foreign-related evidence, gradually reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the accident and laying a solid evidentiary foundation for subsequent dispute resolution.

Meanwhile, experts in ship navigation and maritime environment conducted in-depth technical reviews. Given the lack of specific local navigation management regulations in the Middle Eastern waters where the incident occurred, the expert team referred to the "International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea" and best practices for ocean-going navigation. They meticulously analyzed core details such as the types of the two foreign vessels, their navigation conditions, and the collision points. They examined factors such as the compliance of ship maneuvers, the suitability of the navigation environment, the scientific nature of emergency responses, and the adequacy of risk prediction during navigation. Through multidimensional data comparisons, technical simulations, and case studies, they accurately identified the primary and secondary causes of the accident and provided objective, professional, and traceable maritime technical analysis opinions to support the fair resolution of the dispute.

Achieving case closure and harmony

The thorough and detailed accident investigation laid a solid foundation for the subsequent progress of the case. Faced with this complex cross-border foreign-related case, the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration proactively coordinated with Guangzhou Maritime Court, efficiently completing pre-trial evidence sorting, technical material organization, and submission of professional opinions, while closely following and assisting in the case's judicial proceedings.

During the case resolution process, Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration investigator Zhai Yong'en participated throughout the technical analysis and trial. "Maritime professional technical opinions can help the court uncover the truth of the accident," Zhai Yong'en stated. When the trial encountered difficulties such as disputes over navigation operations or differing interpretations of maritime regulations, he promptly provided detailed technical evidence and professional opinions, effectively bridging the gap between administrative investigation and judicial proceedings.

With the dual efforts of maritime professional support and judicial proceedings, all preliminary work was steadily implemented. In July of this year, the case was publicly heard, and the two foreign shipowners reached a settlement through joint efforts.

Representatives of the foreign shipowners traveled to Guangzhou specifically to present a banner and a letter of gratitude. The parties admitted that initially, the case had no connection to China, but they ultimately chose to apply Chinese law and entrust the dispute to China for resolution, recognizing China's rigorous and professional maritime investigation capabilities and judicial credibility. They expressed their intention to share this positive experience of resolving the dispute with their international shipping peers in the future.

The efficient resolution of this billion-yuan cross-border foreign vessel collision dispute is a landmark achievement of Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration's deep expertise in accident investigation and innovative mechanisms for resolving foreign-related maritime disputes. It also vividly demonstrates China's international credibility and influence in maritime investigation. "We will continue to strengthen the professional talent pipeline for cross-border maritime investigations, refine replicable and scalable 'Chinese solutions' for handling foreign-related maritime disputes, and enhance China's international influence in the field of cross-border maritime dispute resolution," said a relevant official from the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration.