Creating a New Form of Rule of Law Civilization:A Historical Narrative of the Communist Party of China

The modernization path of the Chinese rule of law reflects the glorious process of the Communist Party of China(CPC)’s continuous exploration of the rule of law development.It has created a new form of rule of law civilization for humanity,one that has not only profoundly changed China but is also deeply influencing the world historical process.Under the leadership of the CPC,the Chinese people have achieved the innovation of legal mechanisms,text,and discourse in their century-long endeavor for the rule of law.This highlights the distinctive features of the Chinese rule of law civilization.The innovation of legal mechanisms is the foundation of the modernization of the Chinese rule of law,indicating that through the Party’s century-long endeavor for the rule of law,a legal leadership mechanism has been formed,in which the Party exercises overall leadership and coordinates the efforts of all sides;the innovation of legal text is the manifestation of modernization of the Chinese rule of law,indicating that through the Party’s century-long endeavor for the rule of law,the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics is gradually moving toward a new stage of codification in which the promulgation and implementation of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China is a milestone;and the innovation of legal discourse is the core of modernization of the Chinese rule of law,indicating that through the Party’s century-long endeavor for the rule of law,the continuous refinement of the Chinese legal discourse system is playing a key role in providing theoretical support and legal reasoning.

Theoretical Framework of Chinese Modernization of the Rule of Law

The integrationof Chinese modernization and rule of law has given rise to the Chinese modernization of the rule of law.In terms of the concept building,Chinese modernization of the rule of law is a synthesis of rule of law in China,modern rule of law,and Chinese style.In terms of the target model,Chinese modernization of the rule of law maximizes efficiency through the building of unique rule of law system and the integration of the rule of law country.In terms of the core principles,Chinese modernization of the rule of law could be interpreted and explained from five aspects:subject scale,value positioning,civilization form,spatial dimension,and global perspective.Essentially,the Chinese modernization of the rule of law comprehensively highlights the nine intrinsic requirements of Chinese modernization,thussproviding strong guarantee for its accomplishment.With regard to the form of civilization,Chinese modernization of the rule oflaw has created a new form of human rule of law civilization,in terms of subject,object,content,and path,and can be considered to be a developmentbased new form of rule of law advancement.

From the General Provisions of Civil Law to the General Rules of Civil Law:A Historic Leap

The General Provisions of Civil Law(民法通则),formulated in the early days of reform and opening up,was a special law that set out the basic principles or rules of civil law,defining civil subjects,civil legal acts and the agency system,declaring the civil rights enjoyed by civil subjects,establishing a relatively complete system of civil liability system,and so on.It kindled awareness of civil rights among the mass of the population,ensured China’s rapid economic and social development,and laid down a basic framework and content for the civil code,so holds an important position in contemporary Chinese history.But with the development of the economy and society,civil law has had to change with the times.Civil law jurisprudence injects theoretical support into contemporary civil law legislation,and the blueprint for law based governance provides a powerful impetus to the historic leap forward of contemporary Chinese civil law,providing the necessary conditions for the codification of civil law.The completion of the General Rules of Civil Law(民法总则)answers the requirements of the economic,humanist and legal character of the times,demonstrates the humanist stance and spirit of the civil code,rises to the challenge of modern scientific and technological development,and ensures people’s enjoyment and control of their new-style rights and their objective forms.This signifies that the GPCL has accomplished its historical task and civil law in contemporary China has realized a historic leap forward,laying a foundation for the compilation of the Chinese civil code,including the specific provisions of the framework and the contents of its individual parts.