Xi Focus: Leading China's drive to enhance law-based governance

BEIJING -- China reached a milestone in promoting public awareness of the rule of law as a new law stipulating legal safeguards and responsibilities took effect on Nov 1.

The law on publicity and education on the rule of law, which highlights lifelong legal education for citizens, is designed to consolidate the social foundation for comprehensively advancing law-based governance and promote the building of a socialist country under the rule of law at a higher level.

It incorporates "Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law" into national legal texts for the first time, an important step that strengthens the foundation for advancing law-based governance.

China's rule-of-law process entered a new chapter in 2020, when the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its first-ever central conference on the rule of law, formally establishing Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as the guiding philosophy in this field. This marked a historic milestone in the long-term goal of building a socialist rule-of-law country.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has put forward a series of new concepts, ideas and strategies that have shaped China's approach to law-based governance.

These ideas of Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, provide answers to key questions such as why law-based governance in all respects should be pursued in the new era and how to achieve it, offering fundamental guidance for the steady and long-term advancement of law-based governance in China.

Xi's thought has been driving the practice of the rule of law forward in the new era, laying a solid foundation for continuing the two miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability.

TAKING THE LEAD

From Hebei and Fujian to Zhejiang and Shanghai, and from advancing the rule of law at the county level to municipal and provincial levels, Xi has consistently demonstrated a steadfast commitment to upholding and practicing the rule of law throughout his local governance experience.

In March 2018, Xi became the first Chinese president to take the oath of office in front of the Constitution, underscoring his commitment to governing the country in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

Over the past 10-plus years, Xi has delivered numerous important speeches, given key instructions, and personally led efforts to solve major issues related to comprehensive law-based governance.

Under his guidance, a series of national plans, such as the plan to build the rule of law in China (2020-25) and guidelines for building a law-based government and law-based society, have provided a blueprint for advancing law-based governance.

In October 2025, the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee adopted the recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan. The key document highlights the significant role of the rule of law in China's modernization endeavors and the realization of national rejuvenation, calling for stronger mechanisms for resolving administrative disputes and accelerating the development of foreign-related legal system and capabilities.

SERVING DEVELOPMENT, OPENING-UP

Xi views the rule of law as essential for sustaining high-quality development. The impact of recent efforts in advancing law-based governance has been visible across multiple sectors.

After the private sector promotion law came into effect in May, China's Supreme People's Court soon applied it in a landmark case, ordering a government department to compensate a private enterprise more than 8 million yuan (about $1.12 million). The swift ruling was widely welcomed by private businesses, which viewed it as a sign of stronger legal protection.

In the face of profound changes unseen in a century continuing to unfold in the world, Xi has stressed better leveraging the rule of law in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and serving long-term development as the country shoulders arduous tasks of reform, development and stability, and its opening-up to the outside world further advances in depth.

Xi has long emphasized legal safeguards in economic affairs. When he was Party secretary of Zhejiang province, he led a delegation of lawyers to Hong Kong and Macao in 2005 to boost legal cooperation and support business activities.

Under Xi's leadership, legislation has moved in step with the needs of China's evolving economy. Laws have been introduced or revised to support rural revitalization, ensure fair competition, and regulate emerging industries.

Xi has emphasized the need to define the boundaries of government power through law, standardize administrative procedures, and protect the property rights and legitimate rights and interests of all market entities equally in accordance with the law.

Reform and rule-of-law have formed a synergy to lead comprehensive reform and to promote law-based governance of the country in all respects.

Xi personally planned, deployed and promoted the establishment of the Hainan Free Trade Port, a major reform and opening-up initiative. The port is preparing for island-wide special customs operations on Dec 18.

The practice of rule of law is evident through the development process of the port, from its foundational legislation to the implementation of regulations on streamlined approval and foreign investment.

China's foreign-related legal work has also advanced in tandem with the country's opening-up.

The country has formulated and revised key laws in the area, such as Foreign Investment Law, Law on Arbitration, and Maritime Law, and strengthened judicial cooperation with other countries. It is building international commercial courts of high standards to protect the lawful rights and interests of both Chinese and foreign parties on equal footing.

By the end of 2024, Chinese law firms had established 207 overseas branches in 37 countries and regions, and Chinese courts were handling tens of thousands of maritime cases each year, with more and more foreign parties choosing to litigate in China.

FACILITATING SOUND GOVERNANCE

During a 2019 visit to a legislative outreach office set up by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in Shanghai's Hongqiao subdistrict, Xi spoke with residents who were offering feedback on draft laws.

"People's democracy is a whole-process democracy, in which all major legislative decisions are made in accordance with procedures, through democratic consultation, and via scientific and democratic decision-making," Xi said.

As of August 2025, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee had established 54 such outreach offices across the country, and there were more than 7,800 such offices established by provincial or municipal legislatures.

China's legal system continues to expand and mature, with 310 laws, over 600 administrative regulations, and more than 14,000 local regulations currently in force.

The improvement of China's governance system has been closely tied to progress in the legal field. In April this year, lawmakers reviewed the draft of China's first-ever environmental code, marking steady progress toward consolidating environmental legislation into a unified legal framework.

The judiciary also plays a crucial role in safeguarding fairness and social stability. China continues to combat crimes such as gang-related offenses while expanding public legal services to ensure accessibility in both urban and rural areas.