Focus Interview | Striving for New Great Achievements—Promoting Comprehensive Governance According to Law and Building a Rule-of-Law China

Focus Interview | Striving for a New Great Cause—Promoting Comprehensive Governance Based on Law and Building a Rule-of-Law China

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“When good laws are established throughout the country, the country will be well governed; when good laws are established in a single nation, that nation will be well governed.” The Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, attaches great importance to the comprehensive rule of law. From the strategic perspective of ensuring the long-term stability and prosperity of the Party and the country, it positions, plans, and rigorously enforces the rule of law, integrating the comprehensive rule of law into the overall development of the Party and the country’s cause and advancing it accordingly. In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping laid out new arrangements for the comprehensive rule of law. In today’s program, we’ll focus on “Upholding the Comprehensive Rule of Law and Promoting the Construction of a Rule-of-Law China,” and invite relevant experts to provide insightful interpretations.

The seventh section of the Report to the 20th National Congress focuses on upholding comprehensive governance according to law and advancing the building of a country ruled by law. In the report, General Secretary Xi Jinping first highlighted the profound significance of comprehensively governing the country according to law: Comprehensive governance according to law is a profound revolution in national governance; it is vital to the Party’s governance and rejuvenation of the country, crucial to the happiness and well-being of the people, and essential for the long-term stability and prosperity of the Party and the nation.

Chen Yixin, Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Committee: The report to the 20th National Congress of the Party dedicates an entire chapter specifically to the building of the rule of law, outlining it in a separate section and making special arrangements for it—this is the first time in the history of our Party’s congresses. This fully demonstrates the central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaching great importance to the building of the rule of law. It also fully illustrates that our Party is not only one that dares to revolution, excels at construction, and bravely undertakes reform, but also one that believes in the rule of law, upholds the rule of law, and builds a society governed by the rule of law.

He Rong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Vice President in charge of daily operations of the Supreme People's Court: The report dedicates a special chapter to outlining the strategic tasks of upholding comprehensive governance according to law and advancing the building of a country ruled by law. This chapter embodies the high degree of consensus reached by the entire Party and the whole nation, fully demonstrating that the rule of law is the fundamental approach to state governance and administration, and an important underpinning for the national governance system and governance capacity. It holds milestone significance in the history of socialist rule-of-law development in China.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping has, from the overarching and strategic perspective of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, defined the rule of law, planned for its development, and rigorously enforced it. He has creatively proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies for comprehensively governing the country according to law, thereby forming Xi Jinping’s Thought on the Rule of Law—a landmark achievement of the past decade in the construction of the rule of law in the new era.

Chen Yixin, Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Committee: Xi Jinping’s Thought on the Rule of Law is the most comprehensive, systematic, and scientific legal thought system ever put forward by our Party over the past century. This thought has opened up a new realm in Marxist theory of the rule of law, forged a new path for the rule of law under socialism with Chinese characteristics, imbued Chinese legal civilization with new significance, and contributed fresh wisdom to safeguarding the international rule-of-law order. It is the most original contemporary Marxist theory of the rule of law in China.

Xi Jinping’s thought on the rule of law is driving the construction of a law-based China to open up a new chapter. To fully leverage the rule of law’s role in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations, and ensuring long-term benefits, we must comprehensively build a modern socialist country within the framework of the rule of law. The report further outlines the next steps and goals: We must steadfastly follow the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, build a socialist rule-of-law system with Chinese characteristics, and construct a socialist rule-of-law state.

Shen Chunyao, Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress: Building a socialist country under the rule of law is one of our overarching goals. Crucially, the socialist rule-of-law system with Chinese characteristics serves as the key strategic lever for advancing the comprehensive governance of the country according to law. Specifically, this system comprises five sub-systems: a complete system of legal norms, an efficient system for implementing the rule of law, a rigorous system for supervising the rule of law, a robust system for providing legal safeguards, and a well-developed system of internal Party regulations. These sub-systems collectively encompass all aspects, stages, and domains of the rule-of-law endeavor.

The report of the 20th National Congress clearly outlined the strategic framework for comprehensively governing the country according to law as follows: We must jointly promote the rule of law in governance, governance by law, and administration according to law; uphold the integrated development of a law-based state, a law-based government, and a law-based society; and fully advance scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal compliance with the law. The report of the 20th National Congress also laid out specific tasks in four key areas: perfecting the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics centered on the Constitution; steadily advancing administration according to law; ensuring strict and impartial judicial practice; and accelerating the building of a law-based society.

Chen Yixin, Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Committee: In the seventh section of the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, new arrangements have been made for the construction of a modern socialist country under the rule of law, in light of the new situation and new tasks. In particular, many new propositions and requirements have been put forward with regard to key areas of the rule-of-law system—such as scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal compliance with the law—serving as an action guide that must be followed in the construction of the rule of law in the new era.

The report proposes perfecting the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, centered on the Constitution. After long-term efforts, China has established a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, and generally speaking, all aspects of state and social life are now governed by law. Over the past decade of the new era, a series of laws urgently needed for national governance and essential for meeting the people’s growing aspirations for a better life have been successively introduced or revised and improved—such as the compilation of the Civil Code; the enactment and revision of more than 20 laws including the National Security Law and the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law; and the enactment and revision of laws like the Vaccine Administration Law and the Family Education Promotion Law—all aimed at addressing, through the legal system, the salient issues that concern the public. To better leverage the guiding and driving role of legislation, the report points out that we must strengthen legislative work in key areas, emerging fields, and areas involving foreign affairs.

Shen Chunyao, Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress: This represents an important direction and key focus area for legislative and legal amendment work—aligning with and supporting our grand endeavor of fully building a modern socialist country and marching toward the second centenary goal. These include areas that require particular strengthening, those that are of great concern to the people, and those critical areas where work across all sectors is urgently needed. Moreover, as China’s economy and society continue to develop and transform rapidly, many new fields have emerged, giving rise to fresh demands and legislative challenges. The third key area is the foreign-related sphere. As China’s economic and social development deepens and its external exchanges become increasingly close—particularly in the context of initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative and growing engagement in foreign economic, trade, and investment activities—legislation in the foreign-related field has become an area that we must prioritize and strengthen.

Building a government based on the rule of law is a key task and the central project in comprehensively governing the country according to law. Only when the government takes the lead in administering state affairs and conducting official business in accordance with the law can the nation achieve orderly development within the framework of the rule of law. The report points out that we must deepen reform of the administrative law enforcement system, fully promote strict, standardized, fair, and civilized law enforcement, intensify enforcement efforts in key areas closely related to the immediate interests of the people, improve administrative law enforcement procedures, and refine standards for administrative discretion.

Shen Chunyao, Director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress: The building of a government based on the rule of law is a key task or the central project in comprehensively governing the country according to law and in building a socialist country under the rule of law. This is because, among state organs at all levels, government agencies are the largest in size, employ the greatest number of personnel, and wield the most extensive powers and public authority. Therefore, whether they can practice administration according to law and build a government based on the rule of law is of paramount importance for comprehensively governing the country according to law and for building a socialist country under the rule of law.

Fair and impartial justice is the last line of defense for upholding social equity and justice. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a number of historically accumulated wrongful convictions have been rectified one after another. A series of top-level designs have helped to weave a robust system of institutional mechanisms that ensure fairness and justice. The reform of the judicial staffing system has concentrated judicial resources on the front lines of case handling, while the reform of the judicial accountability system has ensured that “those who hear the cases make the judgments, and those who make the judgments take responsibility.” As a result, the socialist judicial system with Chinese characteristics is becoming increasingly fair, efficient, and authoritative. The report further emphasizes the need to deepen comprehensive and coordinated reforms of the judicial system, fully and accurately implement the judicial accountability system, accelerate the building of a socialist judicial system that is fair, efficient, and authoritative, and strive to enable the people to feel fairness and justice in every single judicial case.

He Rong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Vice President in charge of daily operations of the Supreme People's Court: People's courts must continue to deepen the comprehensive and coordinated reform of the judicial system. On this issue, efforts should be focused on fully and accurately implementing the judicial accountability system, accelerating the establishment of a new mechanism for the exercise of judicial power that is scientifically sound, standardized and orderly, and features clear allocation of powers and responsibilities. We must strengthen constraints and oversight over judicial activities, further advance the construction of smart courts, and comprehensively promote the modernization of the trial system and judicial capabilities.

Putting the people at the center is the Party’s fundamental governing philosophy, and in judicial work, this is embodied as “judicial service for the people.” Cui Gan, a judge from Xiangtan County, Hunan Province, and a delegate to the 20th National Congress, deeply understands this principle. In 2016, an elderly man over 80 years old sued his son for failing to fulfill his duty of supporting him. Although the court ruled that the son should pay alimony and the case was closed, Cui Gan noticed that tensions still persisted between mother and son. He visited their home six times to mediate, ultimately resolving the conflict.

Cui Gan, Chief Judge of the Criminal Trial Division of the People's Court of Xiangtan County, Hunan Province: I believe that the court, as the smallest unit of the judiciary and the one closest to the people, is where we must make good use of the legal tools and safeguards provided by the rule of law, and serve the public with even more genuine care and dedication.

He Rong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Vice President in charge of daily operations of the Supreme People's Court: As the People’s Courts, we will adjudicate cases in areas that directly affect people’s livelihoods—including education, healthcare, elderly care, childcare, and social security—in accordance with the law. We will strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities; establish and improve long-term mechanisms to address difficulties in enforcement; enhance the substantive resolution of disputes; and provide solid support for advancing common prosperity. At the same time, we will further expand and deepen the achievements made in building a “one-stop” multi-dispute resolution and litigation service system, thereby safeguarding social fairness and justice as well as the rights of the people.

A society governed by the rule of law is the foundation for building a country ruled by the rule of law. Ensuring that all members of the public genuinely believe in and strictly abide by the rule of law is a long-term, fundamental undertaking. The report points out that we must promote the spirit of socialist rule of law and guide all people to become loyal advocates, conscious observers, and firm defenders of the socialist rule of law.

Chen Yixin, Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Committee: Currently, the key to fully advancing the rule of law lies in ensuring the strict implementation of laws—transforming laws on paper into laws in action through law enforcement and judicial processes. As crucial functional departments responsible for implementing the law, political and legal organs must comprehensively promote rigorous, standardized, fair, and civilized law enforcement; intensify enforcement efforts in key areas that directly affect the people’s vital interests; and crack down firmly on serious criminal and illegal activities in accordance with the law, thereby fostering greater peace and tranquility in both urban and rural areas and enhancing the well-being of the public.

When the rule of law thrives, the nation prospers; when the rule of law falters, the nation descends into chaos. The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized that we must better leverage the rule of law’s role in consolidating the foundations, stabilizing expectations, and promoting long-term development, and comprehensively build a modern socialist country within the framework of the rule of law. The rule of law is a dynamic concept that encompasses not only the enactment of laws but also their implementation, oversight, and the public’s faith in the law—a seamless integration of legislation, law enforcement, judicial administration, and compliance with the law. By fully advancing scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal adherence to the law, by weaving a robust legal network and strengthening the power of the rule of law, the cause of the Party and the state can secure fundamental, holistic, and long-term institutional guarantees, ensuring that our society remains both vibrant and orderly amid profound transformations.