Social Sciences in China, 2023

Vol. 44 , No. 3, 2023

Creating a New Form of Rule of Law Civilization: A Historical Narrative of the Communist Party of China

Abstract：The modernization path of the Chinese rule of law reflects the glorious process of the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s continuous exploration of the rule of law development. It has created a new form of rule of law civilization for humanity, one that has not only profoundly changed China but is also deeply influencing the world historical process. Under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have achieved the innovation of legal mechanisms, text, and discourse in their century-long endeavor for the rule of law. This highlights the distinctive features of the Chinese rule of law civilization. The innovation of legal mechanisms is the foundation of the modernization of the Chinese rule of law, indicating that through the Party’s century-long endeavor for the rule of law, a legal leadership mechanism has been formed, in which the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates the efforts of all sides; the innovation of legal text is the manifestation of modernization of the Chinese rule of law, indicating that through the Party’s century- long endeavor for the rule of law, the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics is gradually moving toward a new stage of codification in which the promulgation and implementation of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China is a milestone; and the innovation of legal discourse is the core of modernization of the Chinese rule of law, indicating that through the Party’s century-long endeavor for the rule of law, the continuous refinement of the Chinese legal discourse system is playing a key role in providing theoretical support and legal reasoning.

Keywords: 20th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, century- long endeavor for the rule of law, a new form of rule of law civilization, modernization of the Chinese rule of law