Xi stresses key role of Constitution

President Xi Jinping has stressed better leveraging the important role of the Constitution in State governance, in order to provide a solid guarantee for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in a signed article published on Monday.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the enactment of China's current Constitution, which was adopted at the fifth session of the fifth National People's Congress on Dec 4, 1982.

Since then, the Constitution has been revised and improved five times, which Xi said were "necessary and very important revisions" that have played a significant role in improving the Constitution, developing the socialist rule of law and enhancing the Party's capacity as the ruling party to pursue law-based governance.

Over the past four decades, the Constitution has promoted and strengthened the development of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and advanced the development of the cause of the Party and the State, Xi wrote.

He called for efforts to take the opportunity of the 40th anniversary to raise awareness of the Constitution, carry forward the spirit of the Constitution and promote the implementation of the Constitution.

According to Xi, the 20th National Congress of the CPC held in October urged greater efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects by keeping pace with what the rule of law requires in order to write a new chapter in the practice of China's Constitution in the new era.

To do so, it is important to adhere to and strengthen the CPC's overall leadership over Constitution-related work, implement the Constitution during the whole process of State governance and improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics with the Constitution at its core, Xi wrote.