The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held its 10th collective study on strengthening the rule of law in relation to foreign affairs on the afternoon of November 27th.

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, stressed that strengthening the rule of law in relation to foreign affairs is not only a long-term need to comprehensively promote the construction of a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization, but also an urgent need to promote a high level of opening up to the outside world and respond to external risks and challenges.

From the perspective of better integrating the domestic and international situations as well as development and security, China should have a profound understanding of the importance and urgency of doing a good job in the rule of law in relation to foreign affairs, and build a foreign-related rule of law system and capacity that meets the requirements of high-quality development and high-level opening up to the outside world, so as to create favorable conditions for the rule of law and external environment for the steady march of Chinese-style modernization.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the rule of law in relation to foreign affairs is a wide-ranging and highly interlinked systematic project, and that it is necessary to integrate domestic and international affairs, development and security, adhere to forward-looking thinking, overall planning, strategic layout, and holistic advancement, strengthen the top-level design, and promote the legislation on foreign affairs, law enforcement, administration of justice, law-abidingness, and legal services as a whole, so as to form a pattern of synergy in rule of law work in relation to foreign affairs.

It is necessary to actively develop foreign-related legal services and cultivate a number of international first-class arbitration institutions and law firms. It is necessary to deepen international cooperation in law enforcement and justice, strengthen consular protection and assistance, and build a strong rule of law security chain to protect China's overseas interests.

It is necessary to strengthen the awareness of compliance, guide Chinese citizens and enterprises to consciously abide by local laws and regulations and customs in the process of "going out", and use the rule of law and rules to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Xi stressed the necessity to firmly uphold the international order based on international law, take the initiative to participate in international rulemaking, and promote the rule of law in international relations. China should actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, promote the development of global governance in a more just and reasonable direction, promote good global governance with good international law, and help build a community of human destiny.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the rule of law goes hand in hand with opening up, and when opening up is pushed forward one step, the construction of the rule of law in relation to foreign affairs should be followed by one step.

The rule of law is the best business environment, to improve the open and transparent foreign-related legal system, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign-funded enterprises, and make good use of the domestic and international rules, to create a first-class market-oriented, rule of law, international business environment.

It is necessary to take the initiative to dock and actively absorb high-standard international economic and trade rules, steadily expand the systematic opening up, enhance the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and build a higher level of new open economic system. It is necessary to benchmark against the international advanced level and raise the effective measures and mature experience of high-level opening up to the outside world, such as the pilot free trade zones, into law in a timely manner, so as to create a new high ground for opening up to the outside world with a higher level of opening up, a better business environment, and a stronger radiating effect. It is necessary to comprehensively enhance the ability to safeguard the security of opening up in accordance with the law. It will also improve the service measures to facilitate the life of foreigners in China as well as the relevant laws and regulations.

The government will also improve the service measures to facilitate the life of foreigners in China and the related laws and regulations.

Source: Xinhua 2023-11-28

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.