Xi urges improvements to rule of law

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over the second session of the Commission for Overall Law-Based Governance of the CPC Central Committee and delivered a keynote speech on Feb 25. 

According to a statement issued after the meeting, Xi, who is also the director of the commission, stressed that the experiences drawn from reform and opening up over the past 40 years have shown that reform and development can't be carried out without the rule of law, adding that the further reform and opening-up goes, the more important the rule of law becomes.

Xi called for improving the rule of law regarding foreign entities by enhancing the quality and efficiency of legislative work to promote a better environment for the nation's reform, development and stability.

Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy directors of the Commission for Overall Law-Based Governance of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting.

The statement pointed out that the commission has upheld the centralized and unified leadership of the Party and actively advanced the key work of the rule of law since its establishment. It has completed this year's tasks, including release of a number of laws and regulations to improve people's lives, pushed forward construction of law-based government and boosted reform of the judicial system.

The statement further stressed that legal construction relates to the overall rule of law situation. It is expected that by 2035, China will achieve the goal of building a law-based nation, government and society. To achieve this goal, the rule of law should coordinate with the nation's development strategy including the construction of a moderately well-off society in an all-round way, comprehensive deepening of reform and strengthening of Party self-discipline.

Efforts should be made to push forward legislation in key areas, raise its quality and efficiency and constantly improve China's legal system, it said.

At the meeting, Xi stressed a high-quality lawmaking process in safeguarding and promoting healthy and sustainable economic growth, and said laws related to foreign investment should be made in a unified manner to meet the needs of building the new system of an open economy in the new era.

Legislative programs in intellectual property protection, bio-safety, land reform and ecological civilization construction should be considered and put into effect, the statement added.

The statement highlighted the importance of law-based governance and called for the integrated building of a law-based state, government and society.

Agreeing that law-based governance represents the best business environment, meeting participants called for implementing the principle of equality in various sectors ranging from legislation and enforcement to judicial protection and adherence to laws.

Greater effort should be made to cultivate more legal professionals specializing in laws involving foreign entities and develop foreign-related legal services.

The meeting also emphasized that enterprises should raise their awareness of the need for compliance with laws and regulations, and that efforts should be stepped up to advance the building of legal systems to serve high-level opening-up.

Meeting participants held that a people-centered approach is needed to advance the rule of law's safeguarding of major public interests and the lawful rights and interests of the people, and to promote social fairness and justice.

A series of documents were reviewed and adopted at the meeting, including the commission's work report for 2018, highlights of its work in 2019, and the legislative plans of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council.