Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 9, 2024

A Normative Analysis of the Power Supervisory Function of the Chinese Constitution

(Abstract)

Liu Lianjun

A distinctive feature of the Chinese Constitution is its establishment of multiple supervisory mechanisms, including supervision by the National People’s Congress, the Procuratorate, and citizens, demonstrating a robust system for overseeing power. The inclusion of the National Supervisory Commission in the Constitution in 2018 further strengthened this supervisory function. China’s Constitution has developed an authoritative and efficient supervisory framework, clarified a centralized and unified supervision and leadership structure, and created a diversified supervisory mechanism within the supervisory commissions, providing a systematic institutional platform for the exercise of supervisory power. The unity of power in the socialist state has shaped the supervisory system of the Chinese Constitution, while the Marxist party’s commitment to selfreform serves as a driving force behind the realization of this supervisory function. The effective exercise of the supervisory function of the Chinese Constitution also depends on the continuous development and improvement of a series of supporting institutions.