Advancing law-based governance strengthens synergy between development and stability: China Daily editorial

Emphasizing that a framework for promoting law-based governance on all fronts has basically taken shape and the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics continues to improve, President Xi Jinping underscored the need to fully implement the thought on socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics for the new era in a recent instruction.

Xi's instruction was conveyed at the central conference on work related to law-based governance held in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday.

Highlighting the necessity of safeguarding and promoting social fairness and justice, and enhancing the coordination between the rule of law and reform, development and stability, Xi called for comprehensively advancing the rule of law in all aspects of the country's work.

At the heart of this process is Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law — the guiding philosophy that continues to shape China's long-term modernization and capacity for sound, effective governance. This charts the course for comprehensively advancing law-based governance in the country which is both the guarantee of national stability and the foundation for high-quality development.

Formally established as the guiding philosophy in the legal field in 2020, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law provides clear answers to why China must comprehensively advance law-based governance in the new era and how it should do so.

Over the past five years, this guidance has steered the continuous improvement of the socialist legal system with the Constitution at its core and deeper reforms in ensuring scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice and universal observance of the law.

This week's conference made clear that on the new journey, fully implementing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is essential for upholding the unity between the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the running of the country by the people and law-based governance, and making concerted efforts to break new ground in advancing the rule of law in China.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, emphasized that accelerating the establishment of a well-developed system of laws and regulations, building a law-based government, promoting impartial justice and advancing the building of a law-based society are the legal underpinnings for high-quality development.

The improvement of governance is inseparable from progress in the legal field. China's legal system now comprises a large number of laws and regulations, while legislative outreach offices across the country give citizens channels to participate in lawmaking, embodying whole-process people's democracy. Courts and procuratorates continue to safeguard fairness and justice, combat crime, and expand public legal services, ensuring that the people can feel fairness and justice in every case and every matter.

As China prepares to enter the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has made achieving a higher level of socialist rule-of-law development a central goal. Xi has repeatedly stressed the need to define clearer boundaries for government power, strengthening protections for all market entities and building stronger systems for foreign-related legal work. The recent publication of the newly revised Study Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and Volume I of the Selected Works on the Rule of Law by Xi Jinping provides authoritative guidance for advancing this cause.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China will continue to consolidate the power of the rule of law, modernize its governance system and capacity, and ensure that the country's modernization proceeds steadily, confidently and on a solid legal foundation.