Mo Gaoyi:

Thank you, Mr. Huai Jinpeng. Now, I would like to invite Mr. Shen Chunyao to introduce the reforms in the areas of democracy and the rule of law.

Shen Chunyao:

Next, I will provide a brief introduction to the important arrangements regarding democracy and law-based governance as outlined in the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee.

In the new journey of further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization, we must broadly mobilize and effectively organize the people under the leadership of the Party to actively participate in reform and opening up, and pursue Chinese modernization as masters of their own country, and to strive in unity to build a great country and move toward national rejuvenation. It is essential and integral to our efforts to further deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization under the new circumstances.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee set the overall objectives of further deepening reform comprehensively, which include advancing whole-process people's democracy, upholding the unity between the Party leadership, the running of the country by the people and law-based governance. The objectives also include improving the institutions through which the people run the country, promoting extensive, multilevel, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy, and promoting socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, thereby advancing the socialist rule of law in our country to a higher level. Developing whole-process people's democracy means always ensuring the principal position of the people on the path forward, fully leveraging the people's motivation, initiative, and creativity, rallying everyone’s wisdom and strength, and better translating our country's institutional strengths into effective governance.

The plenary session stressed that developing whole-process people's democracy is integral to Chinese modernization. It made important arrangements for "advancing whole-process people's democracy" and put forward reform tasks to strengthen the institutions through which the people run the country, improve the mechanisms for consultative democracy, enhance the institutions of democracy at the primary level, and build a broad united front. The overall requirement is: We must firmly stay on the path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics and uphold and improve our country's foundational, basic, and important political systems. We must diversify the forms of democracy at all levels and ensure that the principle of the people running the country is manifested in concrete and visible ways in all aspects of China's political and social activities.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has incorporated exercising law-based governance on all fronts into the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy and has advanced it with unprecedented determination, measures and efforts, achieving historic accomplishments. The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee underscored that the rule of law provides an important guarantee for Chinese modernization. It is necessary to exercise law-based governance and deepen reforms to advance Chinese modernization on the track of the rule of law. This entails ensuring the unity of reform and the rule of law, having a legal basis for major reforms, and promptly codifying reform achievements into laws. The plenary session made important arrangements for "promoting socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics." It emphasized focusing on developing the system of the rule of law to systematically advance the rule of law in China. This entails forming a complete set of legal norms, efficient enforcement measures, rigorous oversight mechanisms, effective legal protections, and a complete body of internal Party regulations at a higher level.

On the new journey, to better leverage the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and delivering long-term benefits, we must ensure full implementation of the Constitution and uphold its authority, coordinate the reforms to promote sound legislation, law enforcement, administration of justice, and observance of the law, and improve the mechanisms for ensuring that all are equal before the law, so as to promote socialist rule of law, safeguard social fairness and justice, and see that all work of the state is carried out under the rule of law. The plenary session has outlined reform tasks and requirements in the field of the rule of law, focusing on deepening reforms in legislation, advancing law-based government administration, improving the institutions and mechanisms for impartial law enforcement and administration of justice, refining the mechanisms for building a law-based society, and strengthening the rule of law in foreign-related affairs.

In exercising law-based governance and promoting socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, we must follow the following important principles: First, adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and firmly grasp the correct political direction for advancing the rule of law in China. Second, adhere to the Party's overall leadership in advancing the rule of law in China and ensure that the Party's lines, principles, policies, decisions and plans are fully and effectively implemented through the rule of law. Third, the people's principal position in exercising law-based governance on all fronts should be ensured, and a people-centered approach should be taken in all aspects and throughout the whole process of advancing the rule of law in China. Fourth, adhere to the status of the Constitution as the fundamental law of China, strengthen its implementation, fulfill its mission, and safeguard its authority. Fifth, adhere to the unity of promoting reform under the rule of law and perfecting the rule of law in the process of reform, and handle the relationship between reform and the rule of law well. This is all I can provide for now. Thank you.