Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Wang Zhenjiang, vice minister of justice

Mr. Yang Xiangbin, director general of the Bureau of Public Legal Services Administration of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ)

Mr. Kong Xiangquan, deputy director general of the Administrative Law Enforcement Coordination and Supervision Bureau of the MOJ  

Mr. Jiang Shan, deputy director general of the Second Bureau of Legislation of the MOJ

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Sept. 6, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we are very pleased to have invited Mr. Wang Zhenjiang, vice minister of justice, to brief you on relevant developments and answer your questions. Also present today are Mr. Yang Xiangbin, director general of the Bureau of Public Legal Services Administration of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ); Mr. Kong Xiangquan, deputy director general of the Administrative Law Enforcement Coordination and Supervision Bureau of the MOJ; and Mr. Jiang Shan, deputy director general of the Second Bureau of Legislation of the MOJ.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Wang for his introduction.

Wang Zhenjiang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I am very pleased to attend today's press conference with my three colleagues and introduce the judicial administration work in promoting high-quality development.

First, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for your long-term interest in, and support and assistance for the work of judicial administration.

High-quality development is the primary task of building a modern socialist country as well as our top priority in the new era. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the MOJ has thoroughly implemented the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, practiced Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, and focused on promoting high-quality development. We have fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy on all fronts and earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in a bid to create a vibrant yet stable and orderly legal environment for high-quality development. Next, I will introduce five key aspects:

First, based on the new stage of development, we are striving to promote high-quality development through high-quality legislation. Since last year, focusing on promoting high-quality development, the MOJ has prioritized key areas and urgent needs, and formulated and revised administrative regulations such as the Regulations on Fair Competition Review and the Provisions of the State Council on the Declaration Standards for Concentration of Business Operators, in a bid to create a favorable environment for various business entities to fairly participate in market competition. We reviewed and amended draft laws such as the Accounting Law, the Statistics Law, the Value-Added Tax Law, and the Tariff Law, promoting the improvement of the macroeconomic governance system. We issued the Provisional Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Civilian Aircraft and the Regulations on the Replenishment of Supplies for International Cruises at Ports of the People's Republic of China, promoting the development of emerging industries. We formulated and revised administrative regulations, such as the Ecological Protection Compensation Regulations, the Interim Regulations on the Management of Carbon Emission Trading, and the Regulations on Administration of Ozone Depleting Substances, improving the system and mechanisms that embody the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

These are some of the legislative items. In general, in 2023, the MOJ completed the review of 51 legislative initiatives, representing a 96.2% increase year on year. So far this year, we have reviewed 39 various legislative initiatives. Going forward, we will fully perform our duties in reviewing government legislation, continuously strengthen legislation in key areas, emerging fields and foreign-related fields, and provide stronger legal support for the development of the Party and the nation.

Second, we are cleaning up regulations and practices that hinder the construction of a unified national market and fair competition, striving to build a unified national market. According to the State Council's arrangements, the MOJ has completed a focused cleanup of all the 600-plus currently effective administrative regulations, and organized the amendment and repeal of some administrative regulations. This effort focuses on eliminating regulations and items that do not meet the requirements of high-quality development, are not conducive to optimizing the business environment and building a unified national market, or violate fair competition. At the same time, following the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we are leading a comprehensive cleanup of laws, regulations and policies that involve unequal treatment of enterprises, with the aim of eliminating hidden barriers and reducing institutional transaction costs for enterprises.

Third, we are striving to better leverage the guiding, regulating and safeguarding roles of the rule of law, with the aim of advancing the development of a law-based and world-class business environment. As you know, the rule of law provides the best business environment. The MOJ has always prioritized building a law-based and world-class business environment as a crucial task. Last year, we reported to the State Council for the launch of a three-year action plan to improve the quality of administrative law enforcement, aiming to address issues such as inaction, misconduct, rough law enforcement and non-standard law enforcement practices, with a particular focus on strengthening the supervision of administrative law enforcement involving enterprises and standardizing administrative inspections of enterprises. Additionally, we reported to the State Council for the cancellation or adjustment of 33 penalty items across nine areas. We drafted and submitted the Guidelines on Further Regulating and Overseeing the Setting and Enforcement of Fines to the State Council for issuance and implementation, aiming to solve prominent problems such as arbitrary fines that have drawn significant complaints from enterprises and the public.

Fourth, the MOJ has focused on providing high-quality legal services tailored to the needs and expectations of business entities. We have launched initiatives aimed at businesses to enhance legal knowledge, promote the rule of law and the spirit of contract, and strive to foster a business environment featuring integrity and fidelity. We also continue to streamline notarization procedures to offer greater convenience to the public. A list of 81 standard certifications across 33 categories have been published, while 116 unnecessary certifications and documents have been removed, which effectively avoids repeated and redundant paperwork for certification. In addition, we have been strengthening the efforts to resolve disputes in emerging fields such as finance, intellectual property and the internet. We support and encourage industrial associations and chambers in these sectors to established their own public dispute settlement organizations, the number of which currently exceeds 3,600. These dispute settlement efforts are playing an increasingly important role in advancing high-quality development and maintaining social harmony and stability.

Fifth, the MOJ has advanced the rule of law in foreign-related affairs, contributing to and ensuring high-quality opening-up. We have expedited the development of a sound system of laws and regulations in foreign-related affairs. We have also collaborated with related government bodies when it comes to research, drafting, review and revision of key laws and regulations, such as the Law on Foreign Relations and the Law on Foreign State Immunity. Furthermore, rapid progress has been made in improving legal services related to foreign affairs. We support the establishment of international commercial arbitration centers in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Hainan. We also encourage the strengthening of foreign-related legal services including support for lawyers, notarization services and commercial dispute settlements. To date, Chinese law firms have established a total of 207 branches in 37 countries and regions around the world, with over 12,000 foreign-related lawyers in service. An integrated certification system combining foreign-related notarization and consular legalization have been promoted, which has effectively enabled Chinese citizens and businesses to "go global."

On the new journey ahead, justice and administrative bodies at all levels will acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. We must be more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership. We must stay confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must uphold Comrade Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. We will take a realistic and pragmatic approach, shoulder our appointed responsibilities and make greater contributions to the endeavor of building a great country, moving toward national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization. 

This concludes my introduction. Next, my colleagues and I will take your questions. Thank you.