Speakers:
Tang Yijun, deputy head of the Office of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the CPC Central Committee, minister of justice, head of the National Legal Publicity Office
Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, justice (second rank)
Yang Chunlei, deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate
Chairperson:
Hu Kaihong, spokesperson for the State Council Information Office
Date:
Dec. 4, 2020
Hu Kaihong:
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO).
Today marks the seventh national Constitution Day. We are delighted to be joined by Mr. Tang Yijun, deputy head of the Office of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, minister of justice, and head of the National Legal Publicity Office; Mr. Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, and justice (second rank); and Mr. Yang Chunlei, deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. They will introduce programs of the 2020 national Constitution Publicity Week and the work of the Seventh Five-year Legal Publicity and answer your questions. First, let's give the floor to Mr. Tang.
Tang Yijun:
Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Today marks the seventh national Constitution Day, and this week we are celebrating China's third national Constitution Publicity Week. From Nov. 30-Dec. 6, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Legal Publicity Office will be holding a series of publicity events across China as part of the national Constitution Publicity Week. This year, the publicity week has three main features.
The first feature is its distinctive and salient theme.
The Central Conference on Work Related to Overall Law-based Governance was successfully convened recently. The most important result of the conference was the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and making it the fundamental guideline for overall law-based governance in the new era. This is a milestone event in the history of both the CPC and China. This year's national Constitution Publicity Week has a salient theme, which is to "fully study, promote and put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and work hard to promote the spirit of the Constitution." The theme has been established to ensure the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in overall law-based governance, to increase public support of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and to raise public awareness of the spirit of the Constitution.
First, the publicity week is organized with a broad political vision. The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Justice, and the national Legal Publicity Office have jointly formulated a work plan for the national Constitution Publicity Week, which closely combines this year's publicity efforts of the Constitution with the study, promotion, and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, as well as the study and implementation of the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. It highlights the significance, rich implications, essence, and practical requirements for studying, promoting and putting into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. This helps implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in every aspect and the whole process of overall law-based governance, leading to the practices of fully building a country of socialist rule of law.
Second, the publicity week is of a high standard and has high requirements. The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Legal Publicity Office jointly held a launch ceremony for the 2020 national Constitution Publicity Week on Nov. 30. Officials from the Ministry of Education and other government bodies were invited to speak, and relevant works were announced during the event. The publicity week calls for effectively strengthening the purposeful study, promotion and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in terms of one's thoughts, political consciousness, and actions, so as to help put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. It also calls for improving the precision, timeliness, and innovation capacity of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the publicity and educational efforts of the Constitution; and further contributes to the quality and effectiveness of this year's national Constitution Publicity Week.
Third, the publicity week is being promoted by high-profile government agencies. A symposium was held on the morning of Dec. 4 at the Great Hall of the People organized by the General Office of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the Ministry of Justice. The theme of the symposium was "fully studying, promoting and putting into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law; Improving the Chinese socialist system of laws, at the heart of which is the Constitution." Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, made an important speech during the symposium and proposed specific requirements accordingly.
The second feature is its diverse range of activities.
We have given full play to the application of all types of media such as newspapers, the internet, mobile apps, WeChat and Weibo accounts, and television. We have also adopted both traditional and modern approaches, focused on a tiered publicity strategy according to different audiences, and use understandable words to explain Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution. It is becoming popular among the public to study, promote, and put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution.
First, text messages on the topic have been sent. I believe many friends from the media will have received a message from the Ministry of Justice and the National Legal Publicity Office, saying: "Dec. 4 is the national Constitution Day. We should fully study, promote and put into practice Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law; work hard to promote the spirit of the Constitution; and become good citizens by respecting, studying, abiding by and applying the law." We organized and coordinated mobile operators to send this message to 1.2 billion cellphone users. If you have been paying attention, you will notice that you received this text message.
Second, relevant TV programs have been produced. A program called "The Spirit of the Constitution; The Strength of the Rule of Law" will be broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV) at prime time on Dec. 4. The annual top-10 figures in the legal field in China will be revealed during the program. These personnel further demonstrate belief in the Constitution and the upholding of the rule of law from our officials and people, especially frontline police officers.
Third, relevant news reports have been published in newspapers. The People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency have published commentaries accordingly, and many newspapers and journals have set up national Constitution Publicity Week columns and published special editions to introduce the basic situation and progress being made on the topic. Major newspapers and journals also published a themed poster on Dec. 4 titled "Fully study and promote Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law; Work hard to promote the spirit of the Constitution."
Fourth, relevant information has been posted online. Over 150 government websites at the central, provincial and ministerial levels — such as gov.cn, the Xuexi Qiangguo platform, and 12371.cn — have posted relevant news reports. Websites across China engaged in the popularization of law have introduced special coverage for the study and publicity of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution. News mobile apps, video websites, and e-commerce platforms have also started online publicity efforts, which has improved rates of both exposure and positive engagement.
Fifth, relevant events have been organized at different occasions and platforms. Government bodies across China have given full play to various law-popularization platforms and launched cultural events for the public concerning the rule of law. We have created a set of themed posters to help promote Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law to the general public in a simple and understandable way. These posters will be exhibited at various law-popularization events across China, such as education centers for the rule of law and other themed venues including squares, parks, galleries, streets, and display boards. Themed advertisements will be broadcast in over 2,300 stations, 2,500 high-speed railway carriages, and other public spaces, to ensure that Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution are well-presented and effectively cover a large area.
Third, we have taken coordinated actions.
We have organized and coordinated relevant central departments to take the lead in implementing the responsibility system of "whoever enforces the law shall popularize the law". We have expanded the audience reach of the campaign to study, publicize and implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution among primary-level departments as well as the general public, and integrated it into rule of law practices, primary-level governance and social life.
First, we have launched Constitution publicity programs in rural areas. On Nov. 30, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Justice jointly staged a "Constitution Publicity in Rural Areas" activity in Taiyuan city of Shanxi province to enhance rural residents' rule of law awareness and strengthen rule of law in rural governance.
Second, we have launched Constitution publicity programs in enterprises. On Dec. 1, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions held themed activities in Nanchang city of Jiangxi province. Based on enterprise efforts to inspire a culture of rule of law, and aimed at both the management and employees, the activities publicized the role of the Constitution and the laws in ensuring and regulating the development of the state-owned sector and also the non-public sector of the economy, as well as in safeguarding the rights and interests of workers, so as to promote the development of rule of law enterprises.
Third, we have launched Constitution publicity programs in residential communities. On Dec. 1, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Justice jointly staged themed activities in Jinan city of Shandong province to provide education on rule of law and legal counseling to residents in terms of matters of public concern. The activities aimed at increasing the attraction and influence of the publicity work.
Fourth, we have launched Constitution publicity programs on campuses. Recently, the final round of the fifth National Students "Studying and Explaining the Constitution" Competition was held by the Ministry of Education. Today, we held "Read the Constitution in the Morning" activity to observe the seventh national Constitution Day, with over 60 million students reading parts of the Constitution simultaneously via the internet. Teachers and students in over 250,000 schools watched the live-streamed activity.
Relevant central departments have also launched themed publicity activities in Party and government organs, at military camps, and in the cyberspace.
Though the Constitution Week has a time limit, the study, publicity and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the Constitution is a long-term task. We will institutionalize and regularize the task in order to publicize the Constitution on a daily or weekly basis.
I would like to express my gratitude to the media for their wide coverage of the Constitution Week publicity campaign and their lasting support for and supervision of the judicial administrative work and the work related to overall law-based governance.
During this Constitution Week publicity campaign, courts and procuratorates at all levels across the country have undertaken much remarkable work. Now, together with Mr. Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, and Mr. Yang Chunlei, deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, I am delighted to answer your questions. Thank you.
Hu Kaihong:
Thanks, Mr. Tang. Now it's time for questions. Please identify the news organization you represent before raising your questions.
