Ties between Party, rule of law the core issue: Xi

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping said the relations between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the rule of law is "the core issue for the building of a country with the rule of law."

The fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee was held last week and adopted a decision to comprehensively promote the rule of law in China.

Xi, also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made an interpretation of the decision published on Tuesday, saying that adhering to Party's leadership, socialism with Chinese characteristics and implementing theory of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics are the "keys to do well in comprehensively promoting rule of law."

"Party's leadership is the most essential feature of the socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the most fundamental guarantee of socialist rule of law," Xi said, according to his interpretation.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is the fundamental foundation for the system of socialist rule of law, and the most systemic guarantee for comprehensively promoting the rule of law, Xi added.

The decision notes that sticking to the Party's leadership is the fundamental requirement for socialist rule of law, and also essential to the Party and the state. It also relates to the interests and well-being of the whole people.

The Party's leadership and the rule of law is consistent with each other, as socialist rule of law must adhere to the Party's leadership, while the Party's leadership must rely on socialist rule of law, the decision said.

Combining the Party's leadership, people becoming master of the country and rule of law is a basic experience of China's socialist rule of law. The Constitution as the fundamental law of the state establishes the Party's leadership.

"We need to speak out (of it) with self-confidence in a big way. (We need) to explain the essential features of our socialist rule of law so that to reform from the bottom and ensure a correct understanding of the facts," Xi said.