Hu Jintao Values Role of Constitution in Progress

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 05, 2002

Hu Jintao Values Role of Constitution in Progress

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Hu Jintao Values Role of Constitution in Progress

Since the present constitution of the People's Republic of China was promulgated and implemented 20 years ago, it has played a tremendous role in ensuring stability and guaranteeing social development, Vice President Hu Jintao said Wednesday in Beijing.

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC)Central Committee, made the remarks at a celebration rally marking the Dec. 4 1982 promulgation and implementation of the constitution.

He said the constitution has been significant for the party and the people in building a relative affluent society and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

It is the fundamental law of the country, the basic guideline for ensuring stability and promoting social development, and the legal basis for the country's unification, economic development, social progress and stability, Hu said.

The constitution has guaranteed China's opening up and socialist modernization construction, promoted the country's socialist democracy and human rights and pushed forward legal construction, stressed Hu.

"The experience of the past two decades tells us the promulgation of the constitution guarantees the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, the national security and social stability," said Hu.

He also noted that opening up to the outside world and the development of socialist modernization are key points that can be fully implemented and developed under the constitution.

The 16th CPC National Congress set a key target of building a relative affluent society in an all-round way, a major part of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Hu said building socialism with Chinese characteristics must be based on economic construction, freedom and the development of productive forces.

He stressed that in implementing the constitution and developing socialist democracy, it is necessary to unify the ideas of following the leadership of CPC, building a socialist society in which people are the masters, and governing the country in accordance with laws.

Hu Jintao called on all CPC members and people of all nationalities to safeguard the dignity of the constitution and ensure its implementation.

China Marks the 20th Anniversary of Constitution

China celebrated on Wednesday the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the constitution and the second national publicity day for law education.

China drew up its first constitution in 1954. The current constitution, the fourth revision, was issued twenty years ago.

Gu Angran, an official from the National People's Congress who deals with legal affairs, fully affirmed the significance of the constitution in building a socialist country ruled by law.

"The constitution is the fundamental law of our country. It's the basis of our legal institutions. It must be strictly observed and implemented. To rule the country by law, we must first rule the country by the constitution."

The constitution has been revised several times. In 1988, a ruling that the state should protect the legitimate rights and interests of the private sector was added to the constitution. In 1993, the words "the primary stage of socialism and socialist market economy" were added to it.

Jiang Jinfang, an official from the Ministry of Justice, says these revisions reflect China's constant improvements in its democratic and legal systems. In addition, he says China has made marked progress in spreading awareness of law among the people.

"The citizens' awareness of law has been constantly enhanced. People have started to use the law as a weapon for participating in democratic management and safeguarding their own legitimate rights and interests. So more and more people are now using legal binding contracts, notarization, lawyers to handle their economic and other affairs."

But education in this field still needs to be strengthened. Jiang Jinfang stressed that in the future, they will do more work to spread knowledge of law among government institutions and officials.

"We shall strive to realize the transformation from enhancing the citizens' law awareness to enhancing the citizens', and particularly the officials' ability to implement the law. Namely, officials should change from mainly relying on administrative means of management to relying on legal means for management."

The official says this is a vital step towards the goal of building a socialist democratic society ruled by law.

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