Accelerating the Construction of A Socialist Rule-of-law Country

Part of Xi Jinping's Speech at the Second Plenary Session of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC on October 23, 2014. Contained in the Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 18th National Congress (Vol. 2). This article consists of two parts. The first part is “unwaveringly follow the path of Socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics”, and the second part is “earnestly implement the tasks put forward by the plenary session”.

The first part emphasizes that in order to comprehensively promote the rule of law, we should take the right path, and if we take the wrong path or go to the opposite direction, putting forward any further demands and measures will not make any sense. Our comprehensive progress in administering the country according to law is to unwaveringly follow the path of socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics. The path problem cannot be ambiguous, it is necessary to transmit correct and clear signals to the whole society. On the fundamental issue of adhering to and expanding the path of socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics, we should build-up confidence and stay focused. Firstly, we should uphold the leadership of CPC. Upholding Party leadership is the fundamental requirement of the Socialist rule of law, and the proper meaning of comprehensively carrying forward ruling the country in accordance with the law.

The most fundamental thing in adhering to the socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics is to adhere to the leadership of the CPC. For upholding the path of socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics, the most fundamental thing is to uphold the leadership of the CPC. Secondly, we should uphold the dominant role of the People. Our country's socialist system has ensured a dominant role of the People as masters of their own affairs, at the same time ensuring the People's dominant role in comprehensively advancing the rule of law. This is the superiority of our system, and it is also the basic locus that differentiates Socialist rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics from other countries' rule of law. Thirdly, we should uphold equality before the law. Equality is the basic property of Socialist law, is the basic demand of the Socialist rule of law. Adhering to equality before the law must be reflected in all aspects of legislation, law enforcement, justice and compliance. Fourthly, we should persist in combining governance according to law and governance according to ethics. The law is ethics in written form, carrying society's ideal values and their common pursuits, ethics are the laws of our hearts which guard the values of mankind's conscience and self-discipline, both the law and ethics regulate social conduct, and maintain social order. Governing the country and society must focus on the rule-of-law and the rule of virtue. We should attach importance to both the normative role of law and the educational role of morality so as to realize the complementarity of law and morality and the complementarity of the rule-of-law and the rule of morality. The path of combining governance according to law and governance by virtue is China's creation. Governance according to law and governance by virtue each bring their distinctive characteristics irreplaceable role to the governance of the state and society; the law adjusts behavior, while ethics adjusts the heart and only by a tight combination of the two, by their complementing each other, can the state be governed in an orderly way and society can function healthily. Fifthly, we should proceed from reality of China and highlight the characteristics of China, practice and the times.

The second part puts forward specific requirements for the implementation of the tasks of comprehensively promoting the rule of law:

Firstly, the main line that runs through the entire decision is that we should focus on the overall goal of comprehensively promoting the rule of law, and accelerating the construction of a socialist system of rule-of-law with Chinese characteristics. Secondly, we should accurately grasp the overall layout of the work of administering the country according to law, advancing governance in accordance with the law and administration in accordance with the law, adhering to the integrated construction of a country ruled by law, a government ruled by law, and a society ruled by law. Thirdly, we should accurately grasp the important tasks of comprehensively promoting the rule of law, and work hard to promote scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, fair justice, and universal compliance of laws.

Fourthly, it is important to strengthen the construction of the rule-of-law work force, comprehensively promote the rule of law, and build a high-quality team for rule-of-law work force with both ethics and talent.

Fifthly, unwaveringly promote reform in the field of rule-of-law and resolutely remove the obstacles to the system and mechanism that hinder the comprehensive advancement of rule of law.