Opinion | Party leaders' call to honour the spirit of China's constitution raises hope for change
Hu Shuli commends their proposed overhaul of the role of legislators, officials and the judiciary, in a bid to strengthen the rule of law
The Communist Party's fourth plenum last week did not end, as had been expected, with an announcement on a reshuffle in the People's Liberation Army. Instead, party leaders adopted a decision on the "major issues concerning comprehensively advancing the rule of law", pledging changes in six major areas.
A key refrain was that the government would rule the country according to the constitution. Without a doubt, this was the most important achievement of the four-day meeting.
The constitution is the foundation of the country's rule of law. In at least two major speeches over the past two years, Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping has said that China must uphold the constitution if it wishes to uphold the rule of law.
Notably, the communiqué of the fourth plenum includes not only the usual exhortations to learn from history, but also some guidelines that befit the times, laying solid ground for the implementation of the constitution.
The communiqué stresses the leaders' resolve to protect the authority of the constitution and build a socialist legal system unique to China, and puts the constitution in the front and centre of Chinese governance.
Too often, government decisions are taken that plainly flout the spirit, if not the letter, of the constitution. Thus the leaders are right to stress the importance of its implementation.
