On May 15, the People's Daily published a signed article by Fu Zhenghua, Minister of Justice, entitled "Strive to start a New journey of Building a China under the Rule of Law." The full text is as follows:

From the overall and strategic height of comprehensively governing the country according to law, the CPC Central Committee decided to integrate the responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice and the Legislative Affairs Office of The State Council to re-establish the Ministry of Justice, and put the office of the Central Commission for the Rule of Law in the Ministry of Justice.  

 The Amendment to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China adopted at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress included it in the fundamental Law of the state and established its guiding position in the political and social life of the country in the new era.

We must accurately grasp the fundamental political guarantee for comprehensively governing the country by law.  To comprehensively promote law-based governance, we are by no means seeking to weaken, weaken, or even shake or deny the Party's leadership. Rather, we are seeking to further consolidate the Party's ruling position, improve its way of governing, enhance its ability to govern, and ensure lasting peace and stability for the Party and the country.

We must accurately grasp the strategic positioning of comprehensively governing the country by law.  The inclusion of "basically completing the rule of law of the country, the rule of law of the government, and the rule of law of the society" in the goal of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 indicates that comprehensively governing the country according to law constitutes an important part of our Party's guiding ideology, basic strategy, and goal.

It is necessary to accurately grasp the layout of the work to comprehensively promote the rule of law.  The rule of law, governance by law and administration by law must be jointly promoted, because the key to achieving the rule of law depends on whether the Party can adhere to the rule of law and whether governments at all levels can administer in accordance with the law. A law-based country, a law-based government, and a law-based society must be built at the same time, because to advance any aspect or link, we must pay attention to overall planning and top-level design.

We must accurately grasp the key tasks of comprehensively governing the country by law.  This makes clear the key task of comprehensively advancing the rule of law. In accordance with the guiding principles of the 19th CPC National Congress, we will promote legislation in a scientific way, in a democratic way, and in accordance with the law, promote development with good laws, and ensure good governance. Based on the requirements of building a law-based government, we will further promote law-based administration and strictly standardize, just and civilized law enforcement. We will build a social governance structure featuring joint contribution, joint governance and shared benefits, and make social governance more social, law-based, intelligent, and professional. We will intensify efforts to popularize the law and build a socialist culture of rule of law.

Second, the new situation, new tasks and new requirements for building a law-based country, government and society in the new era

The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC has made clear the new historical orientation of comprehensively advancing the rule of law and building the rule of law in China. To fulfill the political responsibilities and responsibilities entrusted by the CPC Central Committee to the Office of the Rule of Law Commission of the CPC Central Committee and the reconstituted Ministry of Justice, we must implement new ideas, analyze new contradictions, grasp the new situation, aim at new goals, and shoulder new missions, strive to open a new journey for the construction of the rule of law in China, and create a new situation for the work of the Ministry of Justice.

Analyze new contradictions and grasp the new situation. In the new era, the people's demand for "basic public goods" such as democracy, rule of law, fairness, justice, security and the environment has become more prominent, requiring us to provide better institutional basic public goods, and strive to ensure that the people fully feel fairness, justice, happiness and dignity in every legal system, law enforcement decision and judicial case. The strategic goal of building a country under the rule of law in the new era is clearer, which provides us with unprecedented opportunities and a broad stage for forging ahead and doing business. The strategic position of comprehensively governing the country according to law in the new era has reached a new height. Comprehensively governing the country according to law has been included in the "four comprehensives" strategy, and upholding the rule of law has been included in the basic strategy of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. This requires us to better coordinate and implement the work of building a law-based country, government and society.

Recognize the new mission and start a new journey. The reorganization of the Ministry of Justice in accordance with this institutional reform plan is aimed at implementing the basic strategy of comprehensively governing the country according to law, strengthening the Party's centralized and unified leadership over building a law-based government, coordinating administrative legislation, administrative law enforcement, legal affairs management and publicity, and bringing government work into the orbit of the rule of law. The new mission requires us to stand higher, the pattern is larger, and the responsibility is stronger, abandon the mentality of being afraid to show weakness, change the mentality of being a "pony", take out the momentum of "steed" across the gully and the beggar, and strive to create a new situation of promoting the construction of the rule of law country, the rule of law government, and the rule of law society.

Recognize new requirements and demonstrate new actions. To fulfill our new responsibilities in the new era, we must: uphold the Party's leadership over all work and consciously safeguard the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee; Adhere to the people-centered, to provide the people with diversified, personalized, multi-level, high-quality "legal public goods"; We will continue to comprehensively deepen reform, promote development with sound laws and ensure good governance, and provide a complete institutional guarantee for the modernization of China's governance system and capacity. Adhere to the overall concept of national security, build a national security system, improve the system of safeguarding the vital interests of the people, consciously shoulder the main responsibility of safeguarding institutional security and social security, and provide high-quality and efficient legal protection and legal services for national security work in the new era.

First, constitutional study, publicity and education activities as the guide to promote the construction of a society under the rule of law.  To promote the spirit of the Constitution into enterprises, rural areas, government agencies, schools, communities, military barracks, and the Internet, to promote the study and education of the Constitution to the grassroots, to carry out free gift of the Constitution, so that the Constitution into the station, into the airport, into the dock, so that the Constitution into daily life, into the thousands of households. Let the people truly feel that the Constitution is "visible and accessible when used."

Second, effectively strengthen the Party's leadership over legislative work and take the initiative to adapt to the new requirements of legislation in the new era. The drafting and review of laws and regulations must strictly abide by political standards, implement the Party's leadership into the whole process of administrative and legislative work, and be good at translating the Party's propositions into the national legal system to ensure the correct political direction of administrative and legislative work. We will spare no effort to clean up institutional reform laws and regulations, ensure that relevant agencies perform their duties in accordance with the law, and ensure that major reforms are based on the law and legislation proactively meets the needs of reform and economic and social development.

Third, we will speed up the building of a law-based government and bring all government work under the rule of law. We will comprehensively implement the three systems of public disclosure of administrative law enforcement, recording of the whole process of law enforcement, and legal review of major law enforcement decisions, and vigorously promote strict, standardized, fair and civilized law enforcement. We will improve the supervision mechanism for building a law-based government, form a closed loop of responsibility from leading party and government officials to staff, and establish a mechanism for promoting the building of a law-based government that knows its responsibilities and is clear and responsible. Comprehensively strengthen the formulation and supervision and management of administrative normative documents, and curb the introduction of "wonderful" documents that violate laws and regulations from the source.

Fourth, adhere to the overall approach to national security and make every effort to safeguard national security and social stability. Unified planning of prison, drug rehabilitation, community correction, resettlement, help and education work, to fundamentally enhance the predictability and initiative of work, so that people have a stronger sense of security, gain, and happiness. We should take safety as the bottom line and reform as the purpose, and make innovations in prison, drug rehabilitation, community correction, resettlement, help and education. Adhere to the people-oriented, attack the heart and cure the root cause, and strive to return law-abiding citizens to society.

Fifth, improve the public legal service system to better meet the people's new demands for the rule of law. We will strive to build an upgraded version of the public legal service system that is timely, accurate, inclusive and high-quality.  We will coordinate and promote the work of lawyers, notaries, legal aid, judicial appraisal, and arbitration. Comprehensively strengthen the political construction of lawyers, and strengthen the Party's overall leadership over lawyers' work with integrity; Adhere to both management and service, with temperature, attitude, and strength, to create a good environment for lawyers to practice. We will speed up the building of a comprehensive legal service network for society, and make public legal services more convenient, expeditious, and accurate.