Reform, rule of law go hand in hand

China will deepen reforms in legislation to advance its path to modernization, with formulation and revision of a few major legislative items, Shen Chunyao, an official from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said on Friday at a news conference.

As required by a new resolution of the central leadership, China is planning to draw up laws to promote the private sector, financial development and national unity, and also work to formulate a law addressing cross-border corruption, said Shen, who is also head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

Revising the Oversight Law and the Supervision Law, and compiling a code on the environment and ecology, will also be key legislative tasks in the coming period in line with the resolution, he added.

The resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization was adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, which concluded in Beijing on Thursday.

"Reform and the rule of law complement each other and go hand in hand," Shen said. "The realization of the rule of law cannot be separated from reform, and the deepening of reform also needs the guarantee of the rule of law."

Calling for implementing the guiding principles of the plenum to meet new requirements and circumstances, he stressed the importance of handling the relationship between reform and rule of law.

He said that laws and regulations that meet the needs of deepening reforms will be formulated in a timely manner, adding that "those incompatible with reform and development will be amended, improved or abolished".

For matters where practical experience is not sufficient and pilot programs are required, authorization will also be made in accordance with the law, Shen added.

Comparing reform and rule of law to two wings of a bird and two wheels of a cart, he said that China has stepped up efforts to promote reform and advance law-based governance simultaneously since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, and some significant achievements have been made.

Of the 303 laws currently in effect, 78 were newly enacted after the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, such as the Civil Code, a milestone piece of legislation, and also a fundamental law for regulating civil activities, he added.

While requiring a further deepening of reforms and promoting Chinese modernization along the path of the rule of law, he also stressed the people-centered approach in strengthening law-based governance, saying "developing whole-process people's democracy is integral to Chinese modernization".

"It's a must to put people first and 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," he added.