Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, January 13, 2014

But don't neglect loyalty to The Party

President Xi had strong words for Communist Party cadres. The trick for them was understanding what the most important messages were. What is this thing called rule of law? How is it related to absolute loyalty to the Communist Party? What is the ultimate goal of government?

Xi stresses vitality and order in rule of law

President Xi Jinping has called for a greater role for the Communist Party of China (CPC) in guiding the country's political and legal affairs, urging a balance between "vitality and order."…

"The Party should lead legislation, ensure law enforcement and set an example in abiding by the law," Xi said, adding that political and legal work should be conducted with an aim to safeguard Party policies and the authority of the law…

"People's demands for their lawful interests must be properly handled; policies with a crucial impact on protecting people's interests must be improved; The position of the law in solving conflicts should be strengthened," said Xi…

Officials in the political and legal system should take public concerns seriously, protect the people's life and property, and crack down on serious criminal offences to ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment, Xi said.

All officials in the legal and political system should enforce laws impartially, promote transparency in their work, and be open to public supervision in order to eliminate judicial corruption, Xi noted, adding that any violations will be punished harshly.

"Officials at all levels are forbidden to overstep the limitations of laws, to abuse their power, or to bend the law for personal gain," Xi said.

He urged the establishment of systems to record, report and hold officials responsible for any interference in the judicial process.

Xi said that all political and legal workers should maintain absolute loyalty to the Party and resolutely curb malpractice…

Xi reiterated that judicial reform is one of the most important parts of political restructuring, and accelerating the establishment of an impartial and authoritative socialist judicial system will promote social justice…