Professor Li Long Lectured on China’s Rule of Law over the Past Five Years

On June 8, 2017, Professor Li Long, a senior professor of humanities and social sciences in Wuhan University, was invited to the 188^thLuojia Lecture and he gave an academic report on China’s comprehensive rule of law over the past five years.

In his report, Professor Li Long first briefly reviewed the history of the five years of comprehensive rule of law: In 1997, the 15^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China established the basic strategy of governing the country according to law, and in 1999 it was incorporated into the national Constitution; in 2012, the 18^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proclaimed the need to comprehensively promote the rule of law; in 2014, in the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18^th CPC Central Committee, major issues concerning comprehensive rule of law were studied and discussed, more than 190 judicial reform measures were put forward.

Professor Li Long summed up the scientific connotation of ruling the country according to law: "the unity of three" is the general principle of governing the country according to law; the rule of law is the general policy of governing the country according to law; people-centered is the general orientation of the rule of law; containing power is the general requirement of governing the country according to law; construction of China's socialist legal system is the overarching goal of governing the country according to law; respecting and safeguarding human rights is the general value of the rule of law.

Professor Li Long believed that in general, a country, whether intentionally or unintentionally, almost always have a strategy of governing the country, and at the same time establish the corresponding general principle.

Professor Li Long pointed out that in the theory and practice of governing the country in accordance with the law, there always exists a main line, which is “the organic unity of the party's leadership, people's masters of the country and rule of law”. It is not only a significant achievement of Marxism in China, but also the basic experience of “China program”, as well as the general principle of comprehensive rule of law.

To summarize, Professor Li Long stressed that the construction of a socialist system of rule of law with Chinese characteristics is the overall goal of governing the country according to law. This is a programmatic concept, it is the legal manifestation of the theoretical system of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, and is the official legal origin of our country.