Constitution revision vital to new era

China's Constitution, as the fundamental law of the country, is a set of principles for governance and embodies the wishes of the Party and the people. The second plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee has proposed to amend the Constitution. This is a significant decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping as the core to adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. It also marks a major move to promote the rule of law and the modernization of China's governance system and governance capability. The incorporation of the significant theories and policies confirmed by the 19th National Congress of the CPC into the Constitution through an amendment will reflect the new achievements, new experiences and new requirements of the Party and the nation, and offer constitutional guarantee to adhere to and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Constitution reflects China's reality and requirements

The extant Constitution was enacted by the fifth plenary session of the 5th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Dec 4, 1982, based on the lines, policies and guidelines confirmed by the third plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee in late 1978. The Constitution highlights the great struggle and fundamental achievements of the Party-led Chinese people's revolution, socialist construction and reform, and celebrates the socialist system. It sets the country's fundamental tasks, leadership core, guiding ideology, development path and the goals of national struggle, and prescribes the CPC-led multi-party cooperation and political consultation system, the regional ethnic autonomy system and the community-level self-governance system, along with a series of significant principles, policies and codes of conducts for the Party and the country that reflect the common will and fundamental interests of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.