Fly High the Banner of Socialist Rule of Law with Chinese Characteristics!

Abstract

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently convened for the first time a central committee plenary session addressed the topic of rule of law. This article addresses the question of why the Party felt the need to hold a plenum on rule of law now, and analyses the main features of the Decision issued at the plenum. The Decision sought to accomplish three main tasks. First, to reconfirm for domestic and international audiences that China is pursuing its own path of development aimed at establishing socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics; second, to provide a central-level comprehensive plan for reforms that cuts across jurisdictions and rises above departmental interests; and third, to move beyond the hardware of legal reforms to the software by promoting the norms and practices of a rule of law culture for officials and citizens alike. I conclude with an overall assessment of the reform agenda set out in the Decision and a discussion of the implications of China’s efforts to establish a socialist rule of law for the promotion of rule of law globally.