其他
CHINA LEGAL SCIENCE 2023年第2期 | 习近平法治思想的人民性探究
Dong Xiaobo
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTIONII. FORMATION LOGIC
A. Theoretical Logic
B. Historical Logic
C. Cultural Logic
D. Practical Logic
III. SCIENTIFIC CONNOTATIONA. Upholding the Principal Position of the People
B. Protecting the Legitimate Rights and Interests of the People
C. Relying on the People to Promote the Rule of Law
D. Adhering to the People’s Evaluation on the Rule of Law
IV. IMPLEMENTATION PATHA. Committing to the People-Centered Approach in Sound Legislation
B. Serving the People in Strict Law Enforcement
C. Putting the People First in Impartial Administration of Justice
D. Enhancing the Concept of Equality in the Observance of the Law by Everyone
V. THEORETICAL VALUEA. Providing the Latest Achievements for Marxism to Adapt to China’s Conditions
B. Providing Guidance for Promoting the Overall Law-Based Governance
C. Providing Directions for Building a Socialist Country Based on the Rule of Law
D. Contributing Chinese Wisdom to the Reform of Global Governance
VI. CONCLUSIONThe people-oriented nature, with logical formation, scientific connotation, practical path and theoretical value, has become an important character of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is formed on the basis of adhering to Marxism on the Rule of Law, inheriting and carrying forward the excellent traditional legal culture in China and meeting the needs of the people for a better life, etc. Its scientific connotation is embodied in upholding the people’s principal position, protecting the people’s legitimate rights and interests, relying on the people to promote the rule of law, adhering to the people’s evaluation of the rule of law, etc. To show the people-oriented nature in the implementation of the rule of law, emphasis should be laid on sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, and the observance of the law by everyone. The theoretical value of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law lies in promoting the adaptation of Marxism on the Rule of Law to China’s conditions, planning and coordinating all aspects of overall law-based governance, providing guidance for building a socialist country based on the rule of law, and contributing Chinese wisdom to the reform of global governance.
I. INTRODUCTION
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, General Secretary Xi Jinping, focusing on the themes of advancing overall law-based governance and striving to build China under the rule of law, has delivered a series of important speeches, which systematically and profoundly answered a series of major questions such as why and how to advance the overall law-based governance in the new era from the combination of theory and practice, forming Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law characterized by rich content, strict logic, complete system and scientific elaboration. The people are the creators of history; they are the fundamental force that determines our Party and country’s future. Decrees may be followed if they are in accordance with the aspirations of the people; they may be ineffective if they are against the aspirations of the people. In the theoretical connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the people-oriented nature is one of the important characteristics, stemming from the fact that the people are the deep foundation of the CPC’s governance as well as the starting point and foothold of the overall law-based governance. At the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping pointed out that this country is its people; the people are the country. As we have fought to establish and consolidate our leadership over the country, we have in fact been fighting to earn and keep the people’s support. The Party has in the people its roots, its lifeblood, and its source of strength. Therefore, the people-oriented nature has become the fundamental character of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. Scholars attach great importance to the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and believe that the people-oriented nature is the bright background of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the most distinctive character of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the concrete embodiment of the philosophy of people-centered development in the field of the rule of law for a new era, and an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.
The academic circles, on the basis of this consensus, have carried out a series of comprehensive and in-depth research on Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law from the perspectives of the theoretical connotation, the mission of the rule of law and the implementation path. The first research perspective is from the theoretical connotation. The people-centered connotation in Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law includes upholding the principal position of the people, safeguarding the people’s legitimate rights and interests, responding to the people’s needs and living up to expectations, etc. The people-centered position of the rule of law is mainly reflected in adhering to the rule of law for the people, adhering to the rule of law relying on the people, adhering to the rule of law to protect the people’s rights and interests, etc. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law emphasizes upholding the principal position of the people, reflecting the people’s will, safeguarding the people’s interests and improving the people’s well-being, which is a creative inheritance of the distinctive character of the people-oriented nature in Marxism in China for a new era and the third historical leap in the sinicization of Marxist jurisprudence. The second research perspective is from the mission of the rule of law. The mission of the rule of law is an important theme of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. The socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics carries the important mission of protecting the rights and interests of the people. The fundamental position of adhering to the people-centered Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law should be implemented in the whole process of overall law-based governance, and the people-centered nature of justice should be highlighted closely around the important requirement of ‘striving to make the people see in every judicial case that justice is served’. The third research perspective is from the implementation path. To implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, we need to grasp the value pursuit of social fairness and justice, and strive to give full play to the main responsibility of leading cadres and the mainstay of the political and legal team.
The above-mentioned interpretation has deepened the theoretical understanding and expanded the theoretical vision of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and further put forward the problems worthy of systematic thinking from the micro level: what is the logic to form the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law? What are the main aspects of the scientific connotation of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law based on the formation logic? How to implement the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law? What are its contributions to the theory of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics? With these questions, this paper, based on the above research, intends to analyze the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law from four aspects: formation logic, scientific connotation, implementation path and theoretical value, in order to further deepen and expand the research of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.
A. Theoretical Logic
The formation of any thought is a process of drawing beneficial elements on the basis of predecessors and continuing to mature in a specific practice. As the latest theoretical achievement of ‘thinking and guiding the rule of law in China with the general principles of Marxism’, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has a solid logical foundation of theory, which is based on the legal thoughts of classical Marxist writers andthe constructive achievements of western legal civilization.
1. The Rule of Law Thought of Classical Marxist Writers. — In the history of human thought, no theory has had such a broad and profound impact on mankind as Marxism. Marxism emphasizes that the only creator of material and spiritual wealth in society is the people. Therefore, the only support for the continuous operation of the wheel of history is also the people. Marx and Engels believe that the implementation of the law is to serve the people. ‘Certainty can only exist if the law is the conscious expression of the popular will, and therefore originates with it and is created by it.’ There are a great number of incisive discussions around the people’s position, interests and evaluation standards in Lenin Collected Works, which fully demonstrate Lenin’s sincere and profound care for the people and the value pursuit of ‘putting the people first’. Marxist classical writers provide a theoretical source for the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the people-oriented nature is the most distinctive characteristic of Marxism. In November 2020, at the Central Conference on Work Related to Overall Law-Based Governance, President Xi Jinping emphasized and deployed ‘adhering to the people as the center’ as a key work that must be done well to further promote the overall law-based governance at present and in the future. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has always adhered to the general principles of Marxism to guide the construction of the rule of law in China, upheld the principal position of the people, and creatively inherited Marxism on the Rule of Law, such as materiality, politics, people, sociality, practicality and inheritance. As a new development and new leap in the sinicization of Marxism on the Rule of Law, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law adheres to the fundamental position of the people, emphasizes the firm standing with the people, implementation of the Party’s mass line, respect for the people’s creativity, as well as the development of the people-centered philosophy, and highlights that the overall law-based governance must uphold the principal position of the people, and the in-depth promotion of the overall law-based governance must adhere to the people as the center.
2. Constructive Achievements of Western Civilization of the Rule of Law. — Although the rule of law in western countries is different from that in China in terms of regime and economic and social development, the rule of law in China in the new era can take the essence and discard the dross of Western rule of law. First of all, the core spirit of Western rule of law is justice. Aristotle believes that equality and justice are the essence of justice. German jurist Radbruch mentioned that justice is equal, while Yelin pointed out that justice is security. China has also reasonably absorbed and learned from the core spirit of justice in the construction of the rule of law. Secondly, the rule of law is more advantageous than the rule of man. According to Western thought on the rule of law, the effects of the rule of law are better than those of the rule of man. Thirdly, an important issue of legal theory is ‘belief in law’, which plays a decisive role in the realization of the value of law and affects the promotion of the rule of law. Rousseau mentioned in Discourse on Political Economy and the Social Contract that the most important law in all laws is not engraved on marble or bronze watches, but in the hearts of citizens. Harold J. Berman, a famous contemporary American jurist, once said that only when people fully believe in the law can the law really play a binding role in society. It is impossible to believe in the law overnight. It needs the constraints of the external environment and the sincere respect from the bottom of the heart. It also needs the society to optimize the environment of the rule of law continuously. Constructive achievements of Western legal civilization provide important ideas for accelerating the construction of the rule of law. We should have faith in the law and be in awe of the law, and ensure that the whole people abide by the law, internalize it in hearts and externalize it in actions. It can be said that the people-oriented nature in Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has absorbed the essence of excellent rule of law civilization in the world, proceeded from the reality of China, and explored the road of the rule of law that is suitable for China’s national conditions in the practice of construction and reform.
B. Historical Logic
At the Ceremony Marking the Centenary of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that since the very day of its founding, the Party has made seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation its aspiration and mission. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is formed on the basis of inheriting the people-oriented thought in the traditional legal culture and the unremitting pursuit of the CPC’s leadership in the construction of the rule of law.
1. People-Oriented Thought in Traditional Legal Culture. — During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the people-oriented thought had not formed a complete system, but it can still be seen from the historical process that ordinary people played an important role in the rise and fall of a country. Just as the old saying in Shoo King, ‘The people should be cherished, and not looked down upon. The people are the root of a country. The root firm, the country is tranquil.’ During the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism and Mohism had far-reaching impacts on the thought of the rule of law. In terms of the people-oriented thought, Confucius and Mencius advocated the implementation of ‘benevolent governance’, paying attention to ‘rule by man’, ‘rule by virtue’ and ‘rule by rites’ and putting the people in the primary position and themselves in the secondary position. The legalists represented by Shang Yang and Han Fei discussed the origin, nature, function and social relationship of law and advocated the rule of law. After the unification of the Six Kingdoms in the Qin Dynasty, Confucian classics were regarded as orthodoxy, and Chinese feudal law began to be Confucianism. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, with the economic prosperity and development, the people-oriented thought developed to a new height and became an orthodox ideology. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the people-oriented thought developed toward perfection. Zhang Juzheng, a politician in the Ming Dynasty, believes that ‘pacifying, benefiting and supporting the people’ is the way to govern. Su Shi, a well-known writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, once said that getting rid of the scourge of the common people is like getting rid of my own heart disease, which means that we should love the people and solve the people’s problems just like getting rid of our own heart disease. These thoughts all reflect the profound people-oriented thought. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law inherited the value orientation of ‘being close to the people and loving the people’ in the people-oriented thought, believed ‘the people’s livelihood matters most of all things’, and added new connotation to it in the process of the times, showing a distinct people-oriented nature.
2. The Thought on the Rule of Law of Successive Leaders of the Communist Party of China. — China’s development is inseparable from the hard work and struggle of the broad masses of the people as well as the efforts and exploration of the leaders of the Communist Party of China. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Comrade Mao Zedong combined the basic theory of Marxism with China’s specific revolution and construction, and explored the theoretical direction and specific practice of the legal construction of the People’s Republic of China with great courage. Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that the people, and only the people, are the driving force in creating world history. In the new period of reform and opening up, the Chinese Communists represented by Comrade Deng Xiaoping have a deeper understanding of the relationship between democracy and legal system: in order to protect people’s democracy, we must strengthen legal system, and democracy and legal system should be upheld. They are like two hands, and neither hand can be weakened. Comrade Jiang Zemin stressed the need to strengthen the construction of socialist democratic politics, but also the construction of a socialist legal system. In 1996, in the concluding speech of the third lecture on the legal system of the CPC Central Committee, Comrade Jiang Zemin put forward the strategy of the law-based governance and comprehensively and profoundly expounded the great significance of the law-based governance. With the advent of the new century, Comrade Hu Jintao put forward the Scientific Outlook on Development, requiring China’s development and construction to emphasize the people-centered philosophy, establishing the concept of comprehensive and sustainable development, and realizing the all-round development of economy, society and people at the same time. These important expositions have profoundly expounded the basic truth that socialist democracy needs the guarantee of socialist rule of law, and pointed out the basic path of synchronously promoting the construction of socialist democracy and rule of law under the leadership of the Party. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and the construction of socialist democracy and rule of law has opened a new chapter. President Xi Jinping pointed out the organic unity of adhering to the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and the law-based governance is a basic experience of China’s socialist rule of law construction. In China, the key to developing socialist democratic politics, ensuring that it is our people who run the country and guaranteeing that the country’s political life is dynamic, stable and orderly is to adhere to the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and the law-based governance. President Xi Jinping also spoke highly of the strength and role of the people. He stressed on different occasions that the people are the true heroes, for it is they who create history, and the great achievements of the new era have come from the collective dedication and hard work of our Party and our people. These important expositions are an important embodiment of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the crystallization of the wisdom of the new generation of Chinese Communists to carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future, and unite and lead the people of the whole country to deeply promote the overall law-based governance and unremittingly pursue the rule of law for the people.
C. Cultural Logic
President Xi Jinping pointed out that culture is the lifeline and soul of a nation. When the culture flourishes, the nation prospers and when the culture diminishes, the nation declines. In a broad sense, the culture of the rule of law includes not only the spirit and the concept of the rule of law, but also the rule of law system dominated by the spirit and the concept of the rule of law, people’s behavior, and so on. In a narrow sense, the culture of the rule of law mainly refers to the establishment of the consciousness, the concept, the value orientation, and the mode of thinking of the rule of law. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is the theoretical achievement of the rule of law, which integrates the legal cultural tradition accumulated by the Chinese nation for thousands of years and the practical needs of the rule of law for a new era.
1. Inheritance of the Essence of Culture in the Chinese Legal System. —Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has attached great importance to the excavation and inheritance of Chinese excellent traditional culture. President Xi Jinping stressed that we have our history and culture, our systems and mechanisms, and our national conditions. Our national governance has incomparable particularity and complexity of other countries, as well as our own long-term accumulated experience and advantages. We cannot belittle ourselves or forget our ancestors. Different from the civil law system, the common law system and the Islamic law system, the Chinese law system was formed under the specific historical conditions of our country, which shows the great creativity of the Chinese nation and the profound heritage of the Chinese legal civilization. Success and failure, and gain and loss of the legal system in ancient China should be studied, the essence of Chinese legal culture should be excavated and inherited, and nutrition and good selection should be used. President Xi Jinping highly summarized the ideological wisdom in the excellent traditional Chinese legal culture as six parts: governing strategies of punishing acts against norms and upholding rites of law; the people-oriented thought that regards people as the root of a country, and the root firm, the country is tranquil; the value pursuit of no lawsuit and harmonious relations; cautious punishment thought of primary virtue and accessory punishment as well as pleasant virtue and careful punishment; the concept of equality of invoking a legal provision to declare convictions and suiting punishment to crimes; the principle of punishment of protecting the lonely (including widows, widowers, orphans, the childless and other lonely people) and the weak (including the elderly, minors, women and the disabled). These six aspects highlight the wisdom of governance in China’s excellent traditional legal culture and China’s governance philosophy and tradition.
2. Innovation of Culture of the Rule of Law in the New Era. — The rule of law is an important way of modern national governance. The construction of a country’s rule of law not only depends on the authority of the law, but also cannot be separated from the support of the rule of law culture. The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core attaches importance to the inheritance of the excellent traditional Chinese legal culture and the construction of modern socialist rule of law culture, which complement each other. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law fully absorbs the traditional wisdom of governance, such as the people-oriented thought in the excellent traditional Chinese legal culture, and carries out theoretical innovation in combination with the practical needs of the rule of law in the new era. For instance, President Xi Jinping’s proposition that ‘everyone is equal before the law’ has given a new era connotation to China’s traditional culture of rule of law. At the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, President Xi Jinping put forward the ‘five insistence’ for the construction of the rule of law in contemporary China, one of which is to adhere to the principle that everyone is equal before the law. The enthusiasm and initiative of the people to devote themselves to the practice of the law-based governance should be fully mobilized, so that all the people can become loyal advocates, conscientious adherents and firm defenders of the socialist rule of law to make respecting, trusting, protecting, observing and using law become the common pursuit of all the people. President Xi Jinping pointed out that building a socialist country based on the rule of law requires upholding the constitutional concept that all state power belongs to the people, mobilizing and organizing the people to exercise state power through people’s congresses at all levels in accordance with the Constitution and laws, managing state and social affairs, economic and cultural undertakings through various channels and forms, building, enjoying and developing together, and becoming the masters of the country, society and their own destiny. President Xi Jinping repeatedly stressed that the construction of the rule of law should be for the people, rely on the people, benefit the people and protect the people, and it should reflect the people’s interests as well as wishes, safeguard the people’s interests and enhance the people’s well-being. It can be seen that the people-centered development philosophy is not only the Party’s core value pursuit, but also the value pursuit of the construction of the Party’s rule of law culture.
D. Practical Logic
The connotation of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law requires specific measures in the practice of overall law-based governance and transforms these measures into practical behavior, so as to truly play its guiding role in leading the construction of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Overall law-based governance covers a wide range of legal practice. In the process of the practice of the rule of law, to fully show the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, it is advisable to fully implement it in all respects, promote it as a whole, and advance it in all areas by drawing upon the experience gained on key points.
1. An Important Part of a Better Life for the People. — The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is formed on the basis of actively meeting the needs of the people in socialist modern countries for a better life. Seeking happiness for the people, rejuvenation for the nation and great harmony for the world is the golden key to deeply understanding and comprehensively grasping Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Facing the people’s growing expectations for a better life in the new era, President Xi Jinping pointed out the people’s needs for a better life have expanded in scope and depth, putting forward not only higher requirements for material and cultural life, but also increased requirements for democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security and environment. Based on the judgment of the changes of the main social contradictions in China, President Xi Jinping stressed the necessity to actively respond to the new requirements and expectations of the people, adhere to the problem and goal orientation, establish dialectical thinking and overall concept, systematically study, plan and solve the prominent problems strongly reflected by the people in the field of the rule of law, constantly enhance the people’s sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, and ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment. Seeking happiness for the people is not only the original mission and value pursuit of the Communist Party of China, but also the original mission and value pursuit of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. The rule of law is an important element of people’s well-being. The people’s enjoyment of democracy, fairness, justice, security and environment is an inseparable social practice foundation for promoting the construction of the rule of law. It must be reliably guaranteed by the legal system and realized in a standardized and orderly manner in the way of the rule of law. In the new era, the people’s growing demand for democracy, fairness, justice, security and environment will lead to the growing demand for the rule of law. Therefore, the contradiction between supply and demand of the rule of law in the new era will be more prominent than ever, the connotation of the rule of law for people’s better life will be richer than ever, and the efforts to meet the needs of the people for a better life will be needed more urgently than ever.
2. An Important Guarantee for a Better Life for the People. — The people’s expectation for a better life is our goal. In the face of the people’s growing demand for the rule of law in the new era, while planning the overall situation of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, especially the cause of socialist rule of law in China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core actively responded to the people’s expectations for the rule of law based on the needs of a better life, paid more attention to the rule of law and the key role of the rule of law in securing fundamentals, stabilizing expectations and benefiting long-term interests, put the construction of the rule of law in a more prominent position, and took the prominent problems in the field of the rule of law that have been strongly reflected by the people as the entry point and focus of planning and promoting the work of the rule of law. It has been proved by practice that since the 18th CPC National Congress, taking the prominent problems strongly reflected by the people in the field of the rule of law as the entry point and focus, deepening the reform in the field of the rule of law, and deeply promoting overall law-based governance are key to China’s socialist rule of law construction, which have undergone historic changes, made historic achievements and won widespread recognition. Therefore, the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is rooted in the people’s practical needs of the rule of law based on the needs for a better life, tests the vivid practice of the rule of law to solve the problems strongly reflected by the people in the field of the rule of law, and is firmly committed to better meeting the people’s expectation for the rule of law based on the needs for a better life, which makes the practical connotation of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law more profound in the practice of overall law-based governance and makes all sectors of society more firm on the people’s position of China’s socialist rule of law and more confident in the people-oriented nature of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics.
III. SCIENTIFIC CONNOTATION
The relationship between the rule of law and the people is a basic issue in the overall law-based governance, which is related to the basic position and development direction of the socialist rule of law. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core firmly adhered to the people’s position of socialist rule of law, closely focused on the multi-dimensional relationship between rule of law construction and people’s position, rights and interests, and feelings and strength, and comprehensively and deeply answered the basic questions of overall law-based governance, such as value subject, evaluation criteria and source of strength, so as to systematically show the scientific connotation of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law.
A. Upholding the Principal Position of the People
The people exist not only as the main body in the construction of the rule of law, but also as the backbone of the construction of China under the rule of law. In building the rule of law in a socialist country where the people are the masters of the country, it is imperative to always bear in mind the people’s position and uphold the principal position of the people, which is the primary embodiment of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. Upholding the principal position of the people means that Party members and cadres stand on the people’s side, take the people as the starting point in what they think and do, and resolutely represent and safeguard the fundamental interests of the people. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China’s socialist system ensures the principal position of the people as masters of the country and the principal position of the people in the overall law-based governance, which is our institutional advantage and the fundamental reason why the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics is different from the capitalist rule of law. Therefore, in deepening the work of the overall law-based governance, it is essential to uphold the principal position of the people, grasp the key of the people’s principal position in the constitution, adhere to the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and the overall law-based governance, carry forward people’s democracy, pool the people’s wisdom and reflect the common will of all the people. As the fundamental law of the country, the socialist system and people’s congress system determined by China’s Constitution are the concentrated embodiment of the constitutional concept that all power belongs to the people in China at the level of the legal system. President Xi Jinping stressed on many important occasions that adhering to the state system of the people’s democratic dictatorship and the political system of the people’s congress system determined by the Constitution is an inherent requirement for upholding the people’s principal position and adhering to the constitutional concept that all power of the state belongs to the people in the in-depth promotion of the overall law-based governance in the new era. These important expositions have profoundly expounded the supreme principal states of the people in China’s socialist system and socialist rule of law.
B. Protecting the Legitimate Rights and Interests of the People
An important connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people. President Xi Jinping stressed that the fundamental purpose of promoting the overall law-based governance is to protect the rights and interests of the people according to the law. The rule of law has the important function of protecting rights, and protecting people’s rights and interests is an important mission of the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics. To adhere to the people-oriented nature in further promoting the overall law-based governance is to give full play to the right protection function of the rule of law, so as to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people. In the construction and practice of the rule of law, it is very important for leading cadres at all levels to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the specific exercise of the Party’s ruling power and the state’s legislative, administrative, supervisory and judicial power by leading cadres is the key to overall law-based governance, and the Party’s leadership in lawmaking, ensuring law enforcement, supporting justice and taking the lead in abiding by the law is mainly reflected and realized through the specific actions and work of leading cadres at all levels. Therefore, since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has paid special attention to the importance of leading cadres taking the lead in respecting the law, studying the law and observing the law for further promoting overall law-based governance and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the people. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinpingas the core focuses on solving problems in practice, and emphasizes that leading cadres should adhere to the bottom line of the rule of law, and take the lead in respecting and observing the law, which fully shows the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and deeply expounds the importance of leading cadres’ strict implementation of the rule of law to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people.
C. Relying on the People to Promote the Rule of Law
Relying on the people to promote the construction of the rule of law is an important embodiment of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. The most extensive and profound foundation for overall law-based governance is the people, so it is of paramount importance to adhere to serving and relying on the people. The cause of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics in the new era must closely rely on the joint efforts of the broad masses of the people. President Xi Jinping pointed out the necessity to fully mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of the people to devote themselves to the practice of governing the country according to the law. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the Implementation Outline for the Construction of a Society Based on the Rule of Law (2020-2025) issued by the CPC Central Committee in December 2020 stressed that we should cultivate the belief in the rule of law in the whole society, enhance the pertinence and effectiveness of publicity and education on the rule of law, guide all the people to be loyal advocates, conscientious adherents and firm defenders of the socialist rule of law, and make the rule of law a social consensus and basic principle. The Plan to Build the Rule of Law in China (2020-2025), issued by the CPC Central Committee in January 2021, emphasizes and deploys promoting overall law-based governance by relying on the people. These important decisions are of guiding significance to better organize and mobilize the people of the whole country and concentrate on the construction of the socialist rule of law under the new historical conditions. In modern society, the rule of law is an important support for national governance, and the modernization of the rule of law is a cause that needs to be promoted synchronously and harmoniously with the modernization of national governance. The modernization of the rule of law is a far-reaching transformation process including the transformation of legal system, legal value and rule of law culture. In the new era of high-quality economic and social development, to actively and steadily promote the modernization of the rule of law and ensure that the construction of the rule of law can meet the practical requirements of economic and social development and the modernization of national governance, it is urgent to fully stimulate the enthusiasm of all the people to respect the rule of law under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and give full play to positive roles of the broad masses of the people in consciously participating in the construction of socialist rule of law.
D. Adhering to the People’s Evaluation on the Rule of Law
The evaluation criteria of the rule of law will be different due to different evaluation subjects, so it has subjectivity. In socialist China, the people are the main body of overall law-based governance and the assessors of the construction of the rule of law. The effectiveness of the construction of the rule of law should ultimately be assessed and evaluated by the people. The people are the supreme arbiter and final judge of our Party’s work. President Xi Jinping stressed the need to take the people’s support, approval, satisfaction and consent as the fundamental standards to measure the gains and losses of all work and strive to make the people feel fairness and justice in every legal system, every law enforcement decision and every judicial case. It is required to fully respect the people’s inner feelings of fairness and justice and pay full attention to the people’s sense of rule of law in deepening the practice of overall law-based governance. The fairness and justice of the rule of law is not only to enable professional personage of the rule of law to enjoy fairness and justice, but also to enable people to enjoy fairness and justice. The rule of law is the cause of good governance, and good law is the foundation of good governance. With the continuous improvement of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution as the core, it has been realized that there are laws to abide by in all aspects of Chinese national and social life on the whole. In this legislative context, the focus of the people’s attention to legislation is no longer ‘establishing a law in order to have a law to rely on’, but ‘establishing a good law in order to have a good law and good governance’. The expectation of the people for legislation is not whether there is any, but whether it is good or not, whether it works or not, and whether it can solve practical problems; not all laws can govern the country, and not all laws can govern the country well; the more emphasis on the rule of law, the more it is necessary to improve the quality of legislation. The real experience of the people themselves is the most convincing criterion to evaluate the effects of the construction of the rule of law. These important expositions, from the perspective of the subject of the evaluation of the rule of law, deeply show the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and are the creative interpretation and application of the principle of the people-oriented nature of Marxism on the Rule of Law in the construction of China’s rule of law in the new era.
IV. IMPLEMENTATION PATH
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has laid emphasis on the construction of the rule of law and made continuous theoretical and practical breakthroughs. President Xi Jinping expressed his implementation opinions on further integrating socialist core values into the construction of the rule of law: adhering to the combination of the law-based governance and the virtue-based governance, integrating the core socialist values into the whole process of building a country based on the rule of law, a government based on the rule of law and a society based on the rule of law, and integrating them into all links of sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, and the observance of the law by everyone. Among them, the people-oriented nature is the essence of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, which has solid practical value. The implementation path is mainly carried out under the guidance of sound legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial administration of justice, and the observance of the law by everyone.
A. Committing to the People-Centered Approach in Sound Legislation
Legislation is the primary link of the rule of law, so paying attention to legislation means paying attention to the source. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee stressed the necessity to pay attention to legislative work, achieve the combination of democracy and science in the specific legislative process, reflect the people’s substantive demands, and gain the people’s support and belief. Strengthening democratic legislation is the internal requirement and the important aspect of promoting the construction of socialist rule of law by developing people’s democracy in the whole process. Only when the law is the conscious expression of the people’s will and is made with the people’s will and created by the people’s will, can a definite grasp be ensured. Firstly, speed up and improve the communication mechanism. In the construction of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, strengthening democratic legislation as well as enhancing legislative democracy and public participation will help fully absorb the will of the people, promote the construction of a complete legal system, and lay a solid legislative foundation for China with good law and good governance based on the rule of law. To this end, efforts should be made to improve the mechanism for soliciting opinions on legislation, expand the coverage and representativeness of public participation, and enhance the transparency of legislation. Explanations should be given to those relatively concentrated opinions that have not been adopted. Secondly, improve the platform and the carrier of democratic public opinion expression of the National People’s Congress. It is highly recommended that new media and new technologies be used actively to expand the channels of public participation in legislation, and improve the mechanism of legislative hearing and public opinion survey, the working mechanism of absorbing public opinion be improved, the wisdom of the people be taken advantage of, and the social situation and public opinion of all aspects based on the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people be integrated. Thirdly, give full play to the role of deputies to the National People’s Congress. Deputies to the National People’s Congress are the ‘spokesmen’ of the people. In the process of long-term practice and exploration, many effective forms for deputies to the National People’s Congress to participate in legislation have been formed gradually. At the same time, it is necessary to innovate and improve the mechanism for deputies to the National People’s Congress at all levels to participate in legislation, and give more play to the role of deputies to the National People’s Congress in drafting and amending laws.
B. Serving the People in Strict Law Enforcement
Strictness is the premise and foundation for the orderly operation of society and the guarantee of authority and credibility. Strict law enforcement is to strictly abide by the rules within the framework of the Constitution and laws, so as to be fair and strict. President Xi Jinping believes that the vitality of law lies in implementation, and the authority of law also lies in implementation. Law is the concentrated embodiment of the people’s will. To promote and ensure the effective implementation of the law through supervision is to promote and ensure the realization of the people’s will according to the law. Only by taking the people’s will as the center and strengthening the supervision of law implementation, can the people’s will contained in legislation be fully realized in specific law implementation activities. Firstly, law enforcers must establish the concept of law enforcement for the people. Law enforcers are the staff of state organs and the representatives of public power, but their power is given by the people and should naturally serve the people. The rights of the people matter most, so strict law enforcement requires law enforcers to put the vital interests of the people first, consciously safeguard the rights and interests of the people, and create a good legal environment for the people. Secondly, professional ethics should be abided by strictly. Law enforcers should establish correct professional ideals, act according to industry norms, listen to the opinions of the people, understand the needs of the people, and truly enforce the law for the people. Thirdly, law enforcers are the executors and enforcers of the law. A good way of thinking on the rule of law should be developed to improve the level of law enforcement, improve the credibility of national law enforcement organs, and make law enforcers and law enforcement departments the most reliable dependence of the broad masses of the people.
C. Putting the People First in Impartial Administration of Justice
Justice is an important means to safeguard national security, public security and social order and good customs. It is the last line of defense and relief mechanism to protect human rights. To achieve impartial administration of justice and ensure that judicial work in China can uphold the people as the core, the specific implementation path of impartial justice can be started from the following three aspects. Firstly, ensure that the judiciary exercises its power independently and impartially and meet the expectations of the people. For one thing, the administration and localization of judicial power must be removed, which requires all provinces in China to strengthen the full integration of various resources of judicial organs, especially in the aspect of judicial funds. For another, the relationship between fair justice and the public should be effectively coordinated. It is the starting point of the work of judicial organs to fully understand the needs and wishes of the broad masses of the people, increase the depth of the broad masses of the people’s participation in judicial work, and protect the broad masses of the people’s enthusiasm for judicial work. Secondly, deepen the reform of the judicial responsibility system and safeguard the rights and interests of the people. For one thing, the profound relationship between the Party’s leadership and the reform of the judicial responsibility system should be understood. Judicial work should accept the Party’s leadership, and the people’s court must strengthen the reform and implementation of the judicial responsibility system, ensure the correct direction of the reform of the judicial responsibility system, guarantee the independence and fairness of the people’s courts in exercising judicial power, strengthen the construction of a clean government and fight corruption in China’s judicial organs. For another, the relationship between decentralization and supervision should be handled correctly. To make justice public is to let the broad masses of the people know relevant information. Thirdly, a complete restriction and supervision system should be built. External supervision mainly depends on the active participation of the broad masses of the people and the broadened channels and methods of supervision. People’s courts at all levels may elect a group of representatives from legal scholars, CPPCC members, journalists, lawyers, enterprises and community residents to conduct judicial supervision, combine traditional supervision methods with new media platforms, and strengthen the publicity of procuratorial work and the openness of procuratorial affairs.
D. Enhancing the Concept of Equality in the Observance of the Law by Everyone
The observance of the law by everyone should not be the last key to overall law-based governance in China, but should fully reflect the concept of the observance of the law by everyone in the process of legislation and law enforcement. President Xi Jinping believes that the Party and the government’s strategy of overall law-based governance must fully reflect the principal position of the people. To guide the participation of the broad masses of the people, it is necessary to create a good law enforcement and law-abiding social atmosphere. This fully shows that only when the law is revered and respected by the people can it exert its maximum force. The specific implementation path of the observance of the law by everyone can be started from the following three aspects. Firstly, implement the work of popularizing the law among the whole people and establish the concept of equality. In the process of promoting law popularization, excellent deeds and models should be discovered to encourage the people to keep up with these models. At the same time, the participation mechanism in law popularization should be broadened to enrich law popularization resources and expand the scope of law popularization. Meanwhile, on the basis of traditional news communication carriers, new forms should be explored to make full use of the communication role of mobile phones, the Internet, television and other media. Secondly, implement the punishment and reward system to enhance public awareness of the rule of law. A mechanism for dishonest behavior has been established to severely punish the seriously dishonest behavior of market subjects, and to improve personal credit records. The major theoretical viewpoints on the issues of the relationship between morality and law, the basis of major reform in the law and the legalization of social governance in Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law have been comprehensively implemented into the process of the construction of the social credit system to promote the legalization of the social credit system, and then serve the improvement of social governance standard system and the modernization of social governance.
V. THEORETICAL VALUE
As the largest developing country, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, China adheres to the development of people-centered philosophy, and promotes the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. In this sense, there are a great number of theoretical values in Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law with the distinctive characteristics of the people-oriented nature.
A. Providing the Latest Achievements for Marxism to Adapt to China’s Conditions
Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law provides the latest achievements for Marxism on the Rule of Law to adapt to China’s conditions. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is based on China’s reality, starting from China’s practice of rule of law, endows Marxism on the Rule of Law with the significance of the times and creatively enriches the people-oriented nature of Marxism on the Rule of Law. At the fundamental level, the capability of the CPC and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works. The people-oriented nature is the most distinctive character of Marxism and the most distinctive character of Marxism on the Rule of Law. In the centennial process of adaptation of Marxism on the Rule of Law to China’s conditions, the Chinese Communists founded Mao Zedong Legal Thought, the Theory of Socialist Rule of Law with Chinese Characteristics, and Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, realizing three historic leaps in the adaptation of Marxism on the Rule of Law to China’s conditions. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law is not a simple restatement of the people-oriented nature advocated by the classical Marxist writers, but is generated by combining Marxism with China’s conditions of the construction of the rule of law since the 18th CPC National Congress, which has the excellent character of keeping pace with the times in theory and practice. As the theoretical achievement of the third historic leap in the sinicization of Marxism on the Rule of Law, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, upholding that the principal position of the people is deeply rooted in the people, fully embodies the will of the people and firmly protects the interests of the people, consolidates the principal position of the people in overall law-based governance and improves the value contribution of the thought of the rule of law, which provides the people-centered basic position, viewpoint and method for further promoting overall law-based governance in the new era and lays a solid foundation for Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law to become the latest achievement of for Marxism to adapt to China’s conditions. With the progress of the times and the development of practice, the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law will continue to be enriched and improved, which is not only the internal requirement of the modernization of Marxism on the Rule of Law, but also the logical necessity of the adaptation of Marxism on the Rule of Law to China’s conditions.
B. Providing Guidance for Promoting the Overall Law-Based Governance
As the core of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the people-oriented nature provides value guidance for coordinating all aspects of the relationship of overall law-based governance. Overall law-based governance must correctly handle the relationship between politics and the rule of law, reform and the rule of law, and the law-based governance and the virtue-based governance. Take the correct understanding and handling of the relationship between politics and the rule of law as an example, politics and the rule of law are both superstructure categories, which complement each other and are inseparable. There is politics in the rule of law, and there is no rule of law divorced from politics. There is a set of political theory behind every form of rule of law, there is a political logic in every model of the rule of law, and there is a political position under every road of the rule of law. In China, the key to dealing with the relationship between politics and the rule of law is to deal with the relationship between the Party and the law. The relationship between the Party and the law is a concentrated reflection of the relationship between politics and the rule of law. The relationship between the Party and the law is a fundamental issue. If it is handled well, the rule of law, the Party and the country will prosper; if it is not handled well, the rule of law, the Party and the country will decline. The purpose of the Party is to serve the people wholeheartedly. The purpose of the Party’s leadership in the construction of the rule of law is to enhance people’s democracy and people’s well-being and meet the needs of the people for a better life. Therefore, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law not only fully reflects the people-oriented nature of the Party and the law, but also makes the people the axis in coordinating the relationship between politics and the rule of law. Taking the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law as the value index to guide and coordinate the relationship between politics and the rule of law is conducive to actively and steadily promoting the construction of socialist rule of law. Actively and steadily promoting the construction of socialist rule of law is conducive to strengthening and improving the Party’s leadership by taking advantage of the mode of the rule of law, so as to improve the Party’s ability and level of ruling according to the law, and make the Party’s leadership more stable and far-reaching, which in turn provides a more fundamental, stable and long-term political guarantee for the construction of socialist rule of law, and forms a benign interaction between the Party’s leadership and overall law-based governance to ensure the long-term stability of the Party and the country and truly benefit the people.
C. Providing Directions for Building a Socialist Country Based on the Rule of Law
Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law points out the direction for building a socialist country ruled by law with Chinese characteristics in an all-round way. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era has provided a powerful ideological weapon for realizing the Chinese modernization. It is precisely under the correct guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and through the unremitting struggle of the people of the whole country that a historic victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects has been achieved. The construction of the socialist rule of law has also undergone historic changes and made achievements, opening a new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. Building a modern socialist country in an all-round way is inseparable from the reliable guarantee of the rule of law and the correct guidance of the thought of the rule of law. At a new historical starting point, looking back on the past, it has been deeply found that over the past 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the reason why China has created the ‘two wonders’ of rapid economic development and long-term social stability is closely related to continuous promotion of the socialist rule of law; On the journey ahead, it is firmly believed that on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, more attention should be paid to the rule of law and the enforcement of the rule of law, giving better play to the guarantee role of the rule of law in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations and benefiting long-term interests. The people-oriented nature is the distinct characteristic of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and it is also the core idea of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. As a major theoretical innovation that meets the requirements of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has important guiding significance for the Party to lead the people of the whole country to promote high-quality development and realize high-quality life under the guidance of the rule of law at a new historical starting point. On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way, a key point to give better play to the role of the rule of law in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations and benefiting the long-term development is to always adhere to the people-centered concept of the rule of law and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, so as to provide a strong rule of law guarantee for the overall layout of coordinated implementation of the five-sphere integrated plan and the four-pronged comprehensive strategy, provide more satisfactory products of the rule of law for the well-being of the people and the stability of society in modern socialist countries, make the people have more sense of fulfillment, happiness and security, and ensure the smooth construction of a prosperous, strong, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful modern socialist country in the middle of this century.
D. Contributing Chinese Wisdom to the Reform of Global Governance
Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law contributes Chinese wisdom to the construction of the rule of law for all mankind and the reform of global governance. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, starting from the great changes that have not occurred in the world in a century, scientifically answers the questions of the times that ‘what is wrong with the world, what should we do and what can be done by the rule of law’, which is the Chinese wisdom that contributes to the construction of the rule of law and the reform of global governance. The rule of law is the basic way of modern governance and an important symbol of human civilization and progress. President Xi Jinping once said, ‘why can our reform and development be carried out in an orderly manner and the society maintain long-term stability? A very important factor is that we always adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, take the promotion of social fairness and justice and the improvement of people’s well-being as the starting point and foothold of our work, and strive to make the people have more sense of fulfillment, happiness and security’. This is a concentrated summary of China’s development experience. The essence of this experience is to base on national conditions, uphold the people’s principal position, and put the people first. Adhering to the people-centered Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law featured by the people-oriented nature has not only made remarkable achievements and accumulated valuable experience in solving China’s development and governance problems, but also has reference significance for other developing countries to solve their own development and governance problems. In the face of the ever-changing international situation, under the guidance of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, how to base ourselves on our country, look to the world, play the role of a major and responsible country, take advantage of the rule of law to benefit the people of all countries and promote the reform of global governance is a major rule of law issue in today’s world. President Xi Jinping believes that the Communist Party of China is the Party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and strives for the cause of human progress, and we should have confidence and strive to contribute to the construction of world rule of law civilization with Chinese wisdom and Chinese practice. Always upholding the principal position of the people in overall law-based governance, and always adhering to the people-centered planning, layout and strict implementation of the rule of law are the foundation and source of confidence to contribute China’s wisdom to the construction of the rule of law and the reform of global governance. President Xi Jinping pointed out that promoting the construction of ‘the Belt and Road’ needs the protection of the rule of law. China wants to create a good environment of the rule of law, and build a fair, reasonable and transparent international economic and trade system with other countries, so as to promote the high-quality development of ‘the Belt and Road’, and better benefit the people of all countries. The Party will continue to work with all peace-loving countries and peoples to promote the shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom. It is with such a global concept and the responsibility of a big country that China links the construction of domestic rule of law with the development of the interests of the people of the world, and works with the people of all countries to promote the construction of ‘the Belt and Road’ and a community with a shared future for mankind, which is a true demonstration of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in the international community.
VI. CONCLUSION
China’s Constitution establishes the people’s principal position and the leading position of the Communist Party of China in the form of fundamental law, and the people’s interests are the interests of the Party. The Party puts the interests of the people first at all times. Therefore, the Party-oriented nature and the people-oriented nature are fundamentally unified. The theoretical meaning is that the Party’s leadership, the people being the masters of the country and the overall law-based governance are organically unified in socialist democratic politics, and the overall law-based governance is the basic way for the Party to lead the people to govern the country. As the logical axis of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, the people-oriented nature is not only the essential character of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, but also the essential character of democratic politics with Chinese characteristics. The Party has in the people its roots, its lifeblood, and its source of strength. The Party has always represented the fundamental interests of all Chinese people; it stands with them through thick and thin and shares a common fate with them. The Party has no special interests of its own; it has never represented any individual interest group, power group, or privileged stratum. On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, only by keeping the hearts of the people well can we consolidate the long-term ruling position of the Communist Party of China. The people-oriented nature is the theoretical essence of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law comes from firmly adhering to the people-oriented nature of Marxism on the Rule of Law, unremittingly pursuing the original intention of the Communist Party of China to lead the construction of the rule of law, inheriting and carrying forward the people-oriented thought in China’s excellent traditional legal culture, and actively meeting the people’s needs for a better life. The people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has been fully reflected by upholding the people’s principal position, protecting the people’s legitimate rights and interests, relying on the people to promote the rule of law, and adhering to the people’s evaluation of the effectiveness of the rule of law construction, which systematically answers the basic questions of the value subject, right orientation, evaluation criteria and source of strength of overall law-based governance. Therefore, in the process of further promoting the work of overall law-based governance, to show and practice the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, efforts should be made to focus on the people-centered approach in sound legislation, serve the people in strict law enforcement, put the people first in the impartial administration of justice, and enhance the concept of equality in the observance of the law by everyone. There is an important guiding significance of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in providing the latest achievements for Marxism to adapt to China’s conditions, providing guidance for the overall planning and coordination of all aspects of overall law-based governance, pointing out the direction for the building of a socialist country based on the rule of law, and contributing Chinese wisdom to the construction of the rule of law for all mankind and the reform of global governance. Looking back on the path we have traveled and forward to the journey that lies ahead, we should firmly grasp the logical main line of the people-oriented nature of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in deeply promoting overall law-based governance, the grasp of which is the grasp of value direction and action programme of overall law-based governance and the upholding of the original aspiration of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics.