Top Chinese legislator urges promoting rule of law

Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang stressed promoting rule of law on Friday, after the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.[Special coverage]

The National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee should prioritize the tasks of advancing rule of law and upholding the authority of the Constitution, said Zhang at a NPC Standing Committee meeting.

At the fourth plenary session, the CPC set a new blueprint for rule of law in which it promised sweeping judicial reforms while hailing the overarching role of the Constitution in the country's legal system.

Saying the blueprint is well targeted and very practical to promote rule of law and will have far reaching implications, Zhang urged NPC deputies to study and implement the major tasks laid down at the session.

NPC at all levels should exercise their power according to law and actively help improve the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics, said Zhang, adding the key to comprehensively promoting rule of law is to improve lawmaking.

"We should push forward rational and democratic legislation and enhance legislation work in some key areas," he said.

He also noted that NPC should strengthen and improve its supervision on the government, the procuratorate authorities and courts at all levels.