Southern Metropolis Daily:

The internet has become a new space where people study, work, and live, and it has also become a new channel and new method for popularizing the law. Publicity and education on the rule of law via the internet have been long-term basic work for the law-based governance of cyberspace. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, what has been done to publicize the law via the internet?

Wang Xiaoguang:

Thank you for your care about our work on popularizing cyber laws. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Ministry of Justice and the National Office of Law Popularization have earnestly implemented Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the important ideas of General Secretary Xi Jinping on building China's strength in cyberspace. They have taken the popularization and education on the rule of law on the internet as long-term basic work for the law-based governance of cyberspace, organized localities and departments to employ the internet to spread knowledge of the law, and enhanced people's awareness of and literacy in cyber laws and regulations. I will use four keywords, "system, platform, product, and activity," to brief you on our work in this regard.

First, in terms of institutional improvements, the system of online law popularization continues to improve. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made a clear requirement to expand the applications of new media and new technologies for law popularization. The seventh five-year plan on improving legal awareness (2016-2020) emphasized promoting the campaign of spreading the knowledge of the rule of law via the internet. The eighth five-year plan (2021-2025) proposed to carry out smart legal publicity from an internet thinking and all-media perspective.

Second, in terms of platforms, we have given full play to various online platforms and media in law popularization. For example, many platforms such as the Xuexi Qiangguo app, people.cn, xinhuanet.com, and legaldaily.com.cn, have launched special columns focusing on the rule of law. The Ministry of Justice has strengthened the functions of its smart legal publicity platform, and facilitated information sharing with online platforms, such as China Court Trial Online and China Judgements Online . As of now, over 30,000 accounts for law popularization have been set up on online platforms, including Weibo accounts, WeChat official accounts, mobile applications and WeChat video channels. The total views of the WeChat official account "China legalinfo" reached 667 million in 2022, with its followers exceeding 30 million.

Third, in terms of products, we have provided a diverse range of online law popularization products. Combining the needs of different groups for law popularization, we have adopted various forms such as graphics, cartoons, comics, short videos, livestream, and online music to provide knowledge of the law, interpret relevant laws and regulations, and promote the socialist spirit of the rule of law through multiple channels such as microblogs, WeChat official accounts, and so on.

Fourth, in terms of activities, we have further integrated online and in-person law popularization activities. All localities and departments have conducted a variety of law popularization activities both online and in-person during important dates such as the National Constitution Publicity Week, the National Security Education Day, and the Civil Code Publicity Month. The CAC has actively implemented the responsibility system of "whoever enforces the law shall popularize the law," conducted a series of relevant activities, and adopted a case-based method to address the issues of public concern such as the use of the internet to spread illegal information, infringement of personal information rights, telecommunications network fraud, and internet protection of minors. All this work has greatly promoted law-based cyberspace governance.

Using the internet to popularize the law has increased the arrival rate, popularization rate and awareness rate of the knowledge of the law. The concept of the rule of law combining rights and obligations, individual freedom and social responsibilities has been well-received by the public. Respecting the law, abiding by the law, and learning and using the law have increasingly become the prevailing consensus and basic principle in cyberspace. Thank you.