A Hong Kong judge has rebuffed a Chinese state-owned company called only "plaintiff Z" in its bid to set aside an arbitration that went in favour of a private shipowner called only "defendant R".

The fight was over a shipowning joint venture between Red Box Energy Services and ZPMC Group that went sour.

A recent 9,000-word ruling by judge Mimmie Chan of the Hong Kong High Court reduces all parties, vessels and shipping projects to their initials.