Build a Modern Socialist Country Under the Rule of Law

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has put the rule of law high on its strategic agenda for upholding and developing Chinese socialism. In building up legal systems and rigorously exercising law-based governance, it has put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies as guides to action, giving shape to Xi Jinping thought on the rule of law.

This landmark thinking is of great immediate importance and profound historical significance for the efforts to advance socialist rule of law in China.

Under its guidance, historic achievements have been secured in this regard in the past decade. China has built a comprehensive framework for law-based governance, sped up work on developing the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and made major progress in reforming the judicial system, thus providing more effective protection for social fairness and justice. 

At present, momentous changes of a like not seen in a century are accelerating across the world, confronting China with arduous tasks in reform, opening up, development and stability as it strives for national rejuvenation. 

Given that a strong rule of law is a fundamental guarantee of the prosperity of a nation or country, it’s necessary for China to give better play to the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, ensuring stable expectations, and delivering long-term benefits. In doing so, China must follow a path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, develop a Chinese system of socialist rule of law, and establish itself as a socialist country under the rule of law. 

To this end, itshould, with a focus on protecting and promoting social fairness and justice, pursue coordinated progress in law-based governance, law-based exercise of state power, and law-based government administration and take integrated steps to build a country, government, and society based on the rule of law. Besides, all-around efforts will be made to ensure sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, and society-wide observance of the law and see that all work of the state is carried out under the rule of law.

In a word, to build a modern socialist country under the rule of law, it’s vital to exercise law-based governance on all fronts under the guidance of Xi Jinping thought on the rule of law. The main tasks are as follows:

1. Improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution at its core by

—better implementing the Constitution and conducting constitutional oversight;

—stepping up legislation in key, emerging, and foreign-related fields;

—making further headway in making laws in a well-conceived and democratic way and in accordance with the law.

2. Steadily advancing law-based government administration by

—transforming government functions;

—improving the government responsibility system and organizational structure;

—enhancing the efficiency and credibility of government administration;

—ensuringthat administrative law enforcement is strict, procedure-based, impartial, and civil across the board.

3. Ensuring strict and impartial administration of justice by

—deepening comprehensive and integrated reform of the judicial system;

—fully and faithfully enforcing judicial accountability;

—accelerating the development of a fair, efficient, and authoritative socialist judicial system;

—seeing that the people feel justice has been served in each and every judicial case.

4. Stepping up efforts to establish the rule of law throughout society by

—promoting socialist rule of law;

—carrying forward fine traditional Chinese legal culture;

—encouraging all our people to truly revere, readily observe, and firmly defend socialist rule of law;

—making it a common practice to respect, learn about, observe, and apply the law throughout society.