Plenary session to focus on rule of law

The rule of law will be high on the agenda during the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee when it meets in October.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Party's top decision-making body, said in a statement after a meeting on Tuesday that the rule of law is vital for the Party's governance, people's happiness and the nation's stability.

The rule of law is also crucial to building a moderately well-off society and making the great dream of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation come true, the bureau said.

Given the complex international situation, the country is facing bigger challenges than at any other time, according to the bureau.

Under this circumstance, the status of the rule of law has become vital.

To alleviate social conflicts and maintain development, the nation must better play the leading and regulated role of the rule of law.

Yang Weidong, a law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, was glad to see the central government uphold the rule of law, saying discussion on this issue should be developed on a new level.

"Studying the rule of law in such an important plenary session has been rare in the past, which reflects our leadership paying huge attention to this issue," Yang said.

It is important to ensure that each branch of the government and people from every walk of life can solve problems with legal methods, he said.

"The core of the rule of law lies in how to put power in a cage," he said. "We should have a full understanding of laws before we carry them out, while officials must take the lead to obey legal principles."