Enforcing a US$2.1 million foreign judgment in England

17th August 2026 | Marta Grieve | Dispute Resolution, Enforcement Proceedings, Foreign Judgment

Sherrards was instructed by Wenda Co Ltd and its founder, Mr Xiong Wei, following a successful judgment obtained in the Chinese courts worth more than US$2.1 million.

With the judgment remaining unsatisfied, the challenge was to secure recognition and enforcement in England – despite there being no reciprocal judgment enforcement treaty between the UK and China.

Sherrards brought enforcement proceedings in the English Commercial Court and took steps to protect assets through freezing and other interim relief.

The defendant challenged enforcement, arguing that the Chinese judgment was not sufficiently final and conclusive and that the underlying proceedings were contrary to natural justice.

A particular issue was whether an application to the Liaoning Province People’s Procuratorate prevented the judgment from being regarded as final. The High Court concluded that, in the circumstances of the case, it did not.

The result

In Xiong Wei & Anor v Wang Jinhong [2026] EWHC 1892 (Comm), the Commercial Court rejected the defendant’s challenges and allowed the judgment to be enforced in England.

The result secured an effective route to recovery for our clients in respect of a judgment worth more than US$2.1 million, plus interest and costs.

The decision has significance beyond disputes involving China, where no applicable reciprocal enforcement regime exists, English common law can provide a route to recognising and enforcing qualifying foreign judgments. The case also demonstrates the importance of considering asset protection at an early stage, with freezing orders and other interim remedies potentially available while enforcement proceedings are underway.

Marta Grieve, Commercial Litigation Partner at Sherrards, said:

“This decision has relevance beyond China. For businesses and individuals holding judgments from jurisdictions where there is no reciprocal enforcement regime with the UK, the absence of a treaty does not necessarily mean that enforcement stops at the border.

English common law can provide an effective route to enforcement where the necessary requirements are met, together with powerful interim remedies to protect assets.”

The Sherrards team was led by Marta Grieve and supported by Paul Marmor, Greg Pooler and Aleksandra Rychlewska. Sherrards instructed Simon Milnes KC and Matthew McGonagle of Twenty Essex as counsel.