China's blueprint for modernization places the rule of law at its heart. Since 2012, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has championed law-based governance, rolling out new ideas and strategies that are reshaping society and strengthening institutions.
One of the landmark moments came in 2020 at the central conference on law-based governance, where Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law was formally proposed. Under this guidance, the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics has flourished, laying a strong legal foundation for national rejuvenation.
At the legislative level, the adoption of the Civil Code marked China's first code since the founding of the People's Republic. Complementing it are new laws on national security, health and public culture, as well as comprehensive updates in fields like ecological protection, education and technology. Emerging sectors such as cyber information and biosafety are also seeing dedicated legislation.
These efforts show in the data. China consistently ranks among the lowest globally for homicide rates, and a 2023 survey found 98.2 percent of people felt secure—a jump from 87.6 percent in 2012. Laws on the national anthem, flag and emblem, along with the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, further protect the country's integrity and stability.
For businesses, a clear legal environment matters. The Foreign Investment Law, revised Patent Law and updated Copyright Law have strengthened property rights. In May, the first fundamental law promoting the private sector took effect, giving fresh momentum to a major engine of the world's second-largest economy.
Public participation underpins these legal changes. When drafting the Civil Code, authorities held 10 rounds of public consultation on the National People's Congress website, receiving over one million suggestions from 425,000 residents. "China's active promotion of comprehensive law-based governance and its efforts to build a sound legal system suited to China's national conditions have provided a solid legal guarantee for the country's economic and social development," says Pavel Troshchinsky, head of the Center for Political Research and Forecasting at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy.
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China upholds law-based governance to advance Chinese modernization
cgtn.com
