Toward the Rule of Law

One of the three building blocks required for a well-ordered society, says American political economist Francis Fukuyama, is the rule of law. All indications in the current wave of legal reform now show that China is accelerating the building of a society based on the rule of law with unprecedented focus.

From October 20 to 23, more than 200 members of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened in Beijing for the Fourth Plenary Session, which steers the country's political path. Rule of law topped the agenda at the meeting, marking the first time in its 93-year history the Party has designated such a theme for a plenary session.

According to a communique issued after the meeting, the CPC╒s current drive to advance the rule of law is to form a system serving socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. The communique highlighted the Party's leadership and the overarching role of the Constitution in the country's legal system.

In September 1997, the report adopted at the 15th CPC National Congress historically noted the inclusion of governing the country according to law and making it a socialist country ruled by law. During the 1999 amendment to the Constitution, this exact dictate was written into the Constitution. Since that time, the Party leadership has pushed hard to promote governance by law from the top level and improve the system of social justice in the country. The rule of law's resurgence as a Party priority is a result of increasing pressure exerted by social problems challenging the country. Allied to this, China's anti-corruption drive also points to the urgent need to improve legal and judicial regulations and their implementation.

More than 50 minister-level or higher officials have either been indicted or placed under investigation for abuse of power since the 18th CPC National Congress in November 2012, underlining the fact that the rule of law is essential to eliminate the most serious threat to good governance from the root cause. The Party's leadership has warned that the heavy burden of corruption could trigger the collapse of the Party and the fall of the state.

Abuse of power also makes it impossible for fairness to prevail in a socialist market economy. Promoting the rule of law will provide a fair and open environment for domestic and foreign investment and further unleash the potential of the economy. This in turn ensures sustainable growth and contributes positively to the world economy.

There are 35 years to 2049, the promised year for China to be a prosperous, democratic and harmonious socialist modern nation. The journey toward this goal is at a crucial phase of deepened holistic reforms; only adherence to the rule of law and a new era of clean governance will realize this historic mission.

China's long march toward rule of law is an arduous but hopeful journey that needs to be victorious in order to attain the Chinese Dream. 

THE EDITOR