National rejuvenation relies on Constitution, Xi explains

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed the important role of the Constitution in fulfilling the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

“No organization or individual has the power to overstep the Constitution or the law,” Xi said on Saturday as he presided over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi stressed the significant role of the Constitution in the process of securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, launching the new journey of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country, and fulfilling the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

The role of the Constitution must be highlighted in modernizing the country’s governance system and improving the CPC’s capability of longterm governance, Xi said.

Xi emphasized the importance of integrating the Party’s leadership, the running of the country by the people and law-based governance. He urged enhancing the implementation and supervision of the Constitution, making the country’s operations fall under the rule of law and rule of the Constitution and pushing the implementation of the Constitution to a higher level.

Xi said that the CPC has paid great attention to the Constitution from the beginning of the Party’s practices in pushing China’s revolution, construction and reform. Since the building of revolutionary bases, the Party has made some exploration and practices in making and implementing the Constitution, Xi said.

In September 1954, the National People’s Congress adopted the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China during the top legislature’s first plenary session, which has not only strengthened the socialist regime and guaranteed socialism, but also laid the basis for the draft of China’s current Constitution, Xi said.

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee formed a new period of the country’s reform and opening-up, during which the development of a socialist democracy and improved socialist laws became a key policy for the Party and the country. China’s current Constitution, which was put into place in 1982, was made under such background, Xi said.

The current Constitution has provided a great legal guarantee for China’s reform and opening-up as well as the building of a modern socialist country, Xi said.

As the general charter of the country’s governance, the Constitution must reflect the historical progress of the Party and the people and it must be improved with the development of the Party’s practice in leading the people to build socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

Several conclusions could be reached by looking back at the history of China’s Constitution under the Party’s leadership, Xi said. Making and implementing the Constitution, advancing the rule of law and building a law-based country is a must for achieving national prosperity, social progress and the people’s happiness, he said.

Only the CPC can uphold the principle of governing for the people, fully develop democracy, lead the people in writing a Constitution that reflects the people’s will and lead the people in implementing the Constitution, Xi said.