Tan Qiping: Leading the Construction of a Higher-Level Socialist Rule of Law State with Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law

Since the 18th CPC National Congress ^[1], the Party Central Committee has incorporated the comprehensive governance of the country according to law into the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout and promoted it vigorously. The overall framework for the comprehensive governance of the country according to law has basically taken shape, the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics has been continuously improved, and the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics has grown increasingly broad. General Secretary Xi Jinping recently issued important instructions on the work of comprehensively governing the country according to law, emphasizing the need to "focus on building a more complete system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and building a higher-level socialist rule of law state." The Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (hereinafter referred to as the Recommendations) also identified "reaching a higher level in the construction of a socialist rule of law state" as one of the main objectives for economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Standing at a new historical starting point, only by persisting in taking Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as our guidance—anchoring our direction, resolving difficult problems, and strengthening the foundations—can we ensure that the ship of building a higher-level socialist rule of law state sails steadily and reaches far.

Building a higher-level socialist rule of law state represents an all-dimensional upgrade of legal concepts, the legal system, and legal practice, requiring solid support from scientific theory. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law profoundly answers a series of major questions such as why we implement the rule of law and how to implement the comprehensive governance of the country according to law in the New Era; it serves as the theoretical foundation for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state.

First, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is rooted in China's national conditions, opening a new realm in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist legal theory, and anchoring the goals for the construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Comprehensively governing the country according to law is a profound revolution in national governance, concerning the Party's governance and the rejuvenation of the country, the happiness and well-being of the people, and the long-term peace and stability of the Party and the state. We must better utilize the guaranteeing role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term, and comprehensively build a modern socialist country on the track of the rule of law." These important expositions by the General Secretary are based on the overall goals of Chinese-path modernization, elevating the rule of law to the heights of the overall national development strategy. This constitutes a major development of Marxist legal theory and clarifies the objectives for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state.

Second, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law inherits the fine traditional Chinese culture, endowing Chinese legal civilization with new connotations of the times and integrating Chinese wisdom into the construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must actively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese legal culture, endow Chinese legal civilization with new connotations of the times, and stimulate its vigorous vitality." The Chinese legal system has a long history, and concepts such as "the people as the foundation of the state" (min wei bang ben ^[2]), "the law is as level as water" (fa ping ru shui ^[3]), and "illustrating virtue and being cautious in punishments" (ming de shen fa ^[4]) contain rich governance wisdom. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law profoundly explores the contemporary value of traditional legal culture, achieving a thorough integration of ancient and modern legal wisdom. For example, the General Secretary's important discourse on persisting in combining the rule of law with the rule of virtue is an innovative development of the traditional culture of "governing by virtue" (wei zheng yi de ^[5]).

Third, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law possesses the distinct characteristic of advancing with the times, pointing out the forward direction for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law was born in the tides of the times; it is constantly verified by reality, enriched by experience, and developed through practice, reflecting the important quality of advancing with the times. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We have already embarked on a new journey to comprehensively build a modern socialist country and march toward the Second Centenary Goal ^[6]. Grounded in the new developmental stage, implementing the new development philosophy, constructing the new development pattern, and promoting high-quality development, we must meet the people's increasing demands for democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. Improving the quality of people's lives and promoting common prosperity all place new and higher requirements on the construction of the rule of law." This is precisely the direction for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state.

Finally, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has constructed a comprehensive and complete theoretical system for legal construction, providing a systematic methodological guide for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state. Centering on the general goal of comprehensively governing the country according to law, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has constructed a complete theoretical framework covering all links—legislation, law enforcement, justice, and law-abidingness—and coordinating domestic rule of law with foreign-related rule of law, and the integrated construction of a rule-of-law state, rule-of-law government, and rule-of-law society. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "comprehensively promoting scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal law-abidingness, and comprehensively promoting the legalization of all aspects of national work, to provide a strong legal guarantee for comprehensively promoting the construction of a powerful nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization." This provides systematic, comprehensive, and clear guidance for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state.

The Report to the 20th CPC National Congress ^[7] pointed out that since the 18th National Congress, "the construction of a socialist rule of law state has been promoted in depth, the overall framework for comprehensively governing the country according to law has basically taken shape, the construction of the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics has been accelerated, major progress has been made in the reform of the judicial system, the guarantee of social fairness and justice has become more solid, and a new situation has been opened in the construction of a Rule of Law China." Looking back at the process of achieving great success in the construction of a Rule of Law China, it was precisely by taking Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as the lead that this was realized. In the great journey of building a higher-level socialist rule of law state, we must pay more attention to and give full play to the role of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as an action guide and leading force.

First, we must continuously strengthen scientific legislation, using good laws to promote development and guarantee good governance. The construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, promoting good governance through scientific legislation. On one hand, the core of scientific legislation lies in being people-centered. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The people's expectations for legislation are no longer about whether it exists, but whether it is good, whether it works, and whether it can solve practical problems; it is not just any law that can govern a country, nor is it any law that can govern a country well; the more we emphasize the rule of law, the more we must improve the quality of legislation." People-centered scientific legislation requires not only a complete legal system but also that the content of the law be scientific, reasonable, and focused on the pressing concerns of the people. On the other hand, scientific legislation requires that the entire system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics be unified in value and coordinated in norms, necessitating persistence in constitutional-based legislation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In persisting in legislation according to law, the most fundamental thing is to persist in legislation based on the Constitution, resolutely implement constitutional provisions, principles, and spirit into legislation, and reflect them in various laws and regulations." Furthermore, the General Secretary's important discourse on the Civil Code being a "fundamental law that consolidates the foundation, stabilizes expectations, and benefits the long term" also has major guiding significance for scientific legislation. We should carry out the work of establishing, amending, abolishing, and interpreting relevant legislation on the basis of following the spirit, principles, and rules of the Constitution and the Civil Code.

Second, we must continuously standardize and improve strict law enforcement standards to build a rule-of-law government. The construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law to promote the rule-of-law transformation of government governance. On one hand, we must comprehensively promote the legalization of government functions, powers, procedures, and responsibilities, standardize law enforcement behavior, and strengthen the restriction and supervision of administrative power. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Use the rule of law to set rules and draw boundaries for administrative power, standardize administrative decision-making procedures, and accelerate the transformation of government functions." On the other hand, in the great journey of building a higher-level socialist rule of law state, administrative organs at all levels should take proactive actions to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the masses. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Administrative organs are the main subjects for implementing laws and regulations; they must take the lead in strict law enforcement to safeguard public interests, people's rights, and social order."

Third, we must continuously improve the level of impartial justice, striving to let the people feel fairness and justice in every judicial case. The construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law to further standardize the exercise of judicial power, improve the mechanisms for the realization and evaluation of judicial justice, and enhance the impartiality, stability, and authority of judicial decisions. On one hand, we need to continue deepening the comprehensive reform of the judicial system, improve the judicial responsibility system, and accept the supervision of the masses through means such as judicial openness to ensure that justice is impartial, efficient, and authoritative. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Deepen the comprehensive matching reforms of the judicial system, comprehensively and accurately implement the judicial responsibility system, and accelerate the construction of an impartial, efficient, and authoritative socialist judicial system." On the other hand, we must strengthen judicial measures for the people, optimize litigation services, and reduce litigation costs so that the masses can obtain judicial relief conveniently and efficiently, truly realizing the goal of "striving to let the masses feel fairness and justice in every judicial case."

Finally, we must continuously enhance the awareness of the whole people to abide by the law and strengthen the rule-of-law concepts of the whole people. The construction of a higher-level socialist rule of law state requires extensive publicity of the law and the cultivation of faith in the rule of law, so that the masses become both beneficiaries of the rule of law and participants in legal construction. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must increase the intensity of universal law popularization, promote the spirit of socialist rule of law, enhance the rule-of-law concepts of all people, improve the public legal service system, and solidify the social foundation for governing the country according to law." On November 1, 2025, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Rule of Law Publicity and Education officially came into effect, which is of great significance for building a higher-level socialist rule of law state. We should take this opportunity to continuously encourage Party and state organs at all levels to take the lead in studying and promoting Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. We must persist over the long term to enhance the awareness of all people to abide by the law, ensuring that Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law deeply enters people's hearts and cultivating a rule-of-law atmosphere in society where everyone respects, studies, abides by, and uses the law.