China Focus: China’s national legislature adopts landmark constitutional amendment

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) — China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), the
national legislature, enshrined Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with
Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the country’s Constitution on
Sunday, codifying its guiding role.

The amendment, adopted at the first session of the 13th NPC with an
overwhelming majority, wrote Xi’s thought into the Constitution’s preamble,
along with other guiding theories including Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong
Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Theory of Three
Represents.Scientific Outlook on Development has also been incorporated
into the Constitution as a guiding theory.”As an important content of the
amendment, the inclusion of Xi’s thought into the country’s fundamental law
reflects the common aspiration of the entire Communist Party of China (CPC)
and all Chinese people of various ethnic groups,” said Shen Chunyao,
chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the 12th NPC Standing
Committee.”It has been the fundamental theoretical guide for the historic
achievements and shifts made in the cause of the Party and the country
since the 18th CPC National Congress,” Shen said at a press conference held
right after the amendment was adopted.

The CPC announced the formation of Xi’s thought for the first time at its
19th National Congress in October, hailing it as “the latest achievement in
adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and an important component of the
theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”Upon
conclusion of the congress, Xi’s thought was written into the Party’s
Constitution as a new guide to action.This was the first amendment to the
country’s fundamental law in 14 years.Key concepts, policies and strategies
the Thought encompasses were embedded in the Constitution.Included are a
vision of innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all; the
five-sphere integrated plan for coordinated economic, political, cultural,
social and ecological advancement; the goal of a “great modern socialist
country”; and an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

The amendment has enriched clauses on the patriotic united front,
harmonious relations among ethnic groups, and peaceful foreign policies,
including the addition of building a community with a shared future for
humanity.The expression that China will “adhere to the peaceful development
path and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up” was added to the
preamble.The following sentence was also added in the Constitution to
stress the overall CPC leadership: “The leadership of the Communist Party
of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese
characteristics.” “The greatest strength of the system of socialism with
Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC,” said Cao Qingyao, an
NPC deputy and a district Party chief of Chongqing Municipality.”The
revision has enriched provisions concerning upholding and strengthening the
overall CPC leadership and is significant to ensuring the Party and the
country to forge ahead along the path of socialism with Chinese
characteristics,” Cao noted.

Other revisions include adding core socialist values and granting Chinese
cities, with subordinate districts, the power to make local laws and
regulations.The people’s congresses and their standing committees in these
cities will be able to adopt local laws and regulations under the condition
that they do not contradict the Constitution, national laws and
regulations, and provincial laws and regulations, according to the
amendment.A revision to a clause concerning the Chinese President and Vice
President’s terms of office was also incorporated. “It is a key measure to
improve the state leadership system,” Shen told the conference.Supervisory
commissions have been listed as state organs in the Constitution, with a
section about such organs added to the third chapter, “The Structure of the
State.”

Supervisory organs are listed together with administrative, judicial and
procuratorial organs of the State, all of which are created by the people’s
congresses to which they are responsible and by which they are
supervised.Lawmakers at the session agreed that the constitutional
revision, which accords with the aspiration of the Party and the people and
has won approval from both inside and outside the Party, is of historic
significance for ensuring prosperity and lasting security of both the Party
and the country.The draft amendment was submitted to the first session of
13th NPC for deliberation among nearly 3,000 deputies on Monday.A
constitutional change is either proposed by the NPC Standing Committee or
by more than one-fifth of all NPC deputies, and then requires the approval
of two-thirds or more of NPC deputies during the annual session.

The amendment was put into effect Sunday.Revising part of the Constitution
is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee from the overall and
strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese
characteristics in the new era, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the
CPC Central Committee, when joining NPC deputies in a panel discussion on
Wednesday.The People’s Republic of China enacted its first Constitution in
1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and amended in 1988,
1993, 1999 and 2004.While the reform and opening-up drive, which began 40
years ago, has made amazing progress, it brought major changes to the
country’s Constitution.From 1988 to 1999, amendments included reform of
land-use rights, a legal status for the private economy, the theory of
building socialism with Chinese characteristics, replacing the phrase
“planned economy” with “socialist market economy,” and incorporation of
Deng Xiaoping Theory.

The most recent amendment in 2004 protected private property and human
rights, and gave the Theory of Three Represents constitutional authority.
China’s Constitution has been developed along with the people’s practices
of building socialism with Chinese characteristics under the CPC
leadership, according to Li Shuzhong, vice president of the China
University of Political Science and Law.”The amendment makes the
Constitution in keeping with the times by incorporating new achievements,
experiences and requirements of the Party and the country’s development as
socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era,” Li said.