Both in letter and spirit

An independent constitutional review agency or a special panel under NPC can oversee the implementation of the Constitution

The Fourth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held last week, called for "improving supervision of the National People's Congress over the implementation of the Constitution", which drew widespread attention because of its historic significance.

Although many have hailed it as a breakthrough measure, the plenum only re-emphasized an existing principle. According to China's Constitution, the NPC, China's top legislature, and its Standing Committee are already empowered to supervise the implementation of the Constitution, a task similar to constitutional review in European countries and judicial review in the United States.