There’s been a lot of comment over the past few days.
Here are some articles.. headlines , opening paras and links but essentially the anti corruption drive moves forward at a pace and the party doesn’t appear to have really surrendered any powers to the courts and you’ll notice that the Xinhua related reports obviously see this as a great boon
International Business Times
China’s Communist Party Plenum Focuses On Rule Of Law, But Not As The West Sees It
BEIJING — The story would sound familiar to many mainland Chinese: An employee of a state-owned company goes on a mission to move his embezzled fortunes, and himself, to the United States. Revenge, greed, lust and even murder follow. It’s a story that sounds plausible in Chinese politics, and the sort President Xi Jinping’s “fighting tigers” anti-corruption campaign seeks to eradicate.
But this is not a news article: It’s the plot of “Black Holes,” a novel by He Jiahong, a law professor at Beijing’s prestigious People’s University.
Just translated into English, the book isn’t just a work of fiction denouncing what happens when a one-party, undemocratic system rules an increasingly wealthy society. It’s the work of a scholar who has long been proposing China should fight corruption not just by shaming and punishing crooked officials, but by adopting something the West has had for centuries: a system based on the rule of law.
The fourth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee concluded in Beijing Thursday. The session was devoted to the central theme of “rule of law” for the first time in history of Party meetings.
According to an official statement released after the meeting, the overall goal of the reforms is to “form a system serving the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics” and to build a socialist country under the rule of law.
It also said that China will aim to build a stronger legal system that is both fairer and more reliable. Some major tasks highlighted include more public awareness of the legal system, and stronger party leadership in pushing forward rule of law.
Global Post
Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2014 11:00pm
Party’s leadership “most fundamental guarantee” for rule of law in China: communique
BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) — The Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership is “the most fundamental guarantee” for comprehensively advancing the rule of law and building a country under the socialist rule of law, leaders said at a key meeting Thursday.
The effectiveness of implementing rule of law will be a significant index in judging the work of officials at various levels and will be added to their performance appraisal system, the Party said, according to a communique of the fourth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee held from Monday to Thursday.
The communique called for governing by law, and all cadres taking the lead to abide by law, warning against illegally exercising powers, allow replacement of law with words, pressing law with powers, and bending law for personal gains.
The Diplomat
Could China’s ‘Rule of Law’ Lead to Constitutionalism?
Official proclamations about the Fourth Plenum include intriguing references to limiting political power.
The Chinese Communist Party is currently holding the Fourth Plenum of the 18th Party Congress, this year’s most important Party meeting (and only the second plenum to be held since Xi Jinping assumed power). This year, the plenum is devoted to the theme of “rule of law.” Many Western analysts argue that the concept as promoted by the Party should be translated as “rule by law,” but Chinese state media continue to use “rule of law” in their official English translations. Nonetheless, the term does not mean the same thing as in Western societies. With “rule of law,” as with “democracy” and “human rights,” the CCP has publicly emphasized that it will not simply adopt the Western model.
Asia One
China’s law reforms clarify rights of people, businesses: Experts
CHINA – The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) pledges of legal and judicial reforms have prompted analysts to cite changes that might have practical, meaningful impact on the public and businesses, even as the Chinese media hailed the reforms as a “historic step”.
Among the reforms listed in a communique on Thursday, when the fourth plenum of the CCP’s Central Committee ended, was making officials culpable for policy errors even after leaving their posts.
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Key Chinese Communist Party meeting opens in Beijing
The Global Times tabloid, which is linked to the CCP, said in an editorial yesterday that the decision to set up a “life-long liability system for major decisions” will help curb irresponsible decision-making.
– See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/chinas-law-reforms-clarify-rights-people-businesses-experts#sthash.9Mbd8l18.dpuf
