-China’s Rule of Law Construction Annual Report (Chinese and English)- (2023) released
On October 17, 2023, a new report titled “Annual Report on the Construction of Rule of Law in China (Bilingual Edition)” was released by the China Law Society. This marks the 16th consecutive year that the report has been made available to both domestic and international audiences.
The report is composed of 14 sections and is approximately 63,000 words long, providing a comprehensive overview of the achievements in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the legal sphere for the year 2023. Key topics covered in the report include the implementation and supervision of the Constitution by the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee, legislative and supervisory work, legal administration, comprehensive deepening of political and legal reforms, and the functioning of courts, procuratorates, public security, and judicial administration. Other areas of focus include the protection of human rights, intellectual property rights, ecological civilization law, legal education and theory research, legal culture, and international legal work.
According to the report, in 2023, China made significant strides in promoting a rule-of-law environment for businesses, in alignment with the goals outlined in the Implementation Outline for Building a Law-Based Government (2021-2025). The report highlights how administrative legislation focused on critical and emerging areas, resulting in the formulation and revision of laws such as the Regulations on the Protection of Minors Online and the Administrative Measures for Non-Bank Payment Institutions. This legislative action is designed to provide solid legal support for high-quality development.
To alleviate the burdens on businesses, the State Council eliminated or adjusted 33 fine-related matters that closely affect enterprises and the public, spanning nine sectors including education, housing construction, and finance. Efforts to simplify documentation processes were also emphasized, with the introduction of commitment-based systems for proof of matters related to enterprises and businesses. Moreover, standards were set for 81 notarization items, and 116 types of documentation were removed, along with the opening of a “cross-province” notarization service to facilitate entrepreneurship.
Furthermore, the report indicated that in 2023, administrative review channels further strengthened their role in resolving disputes, with over 300,000 administrative review cases accepted nationwide. Administrative review agencies received 385,000 new cases, reflecting a 42.7% increase compared to the previous year, while 352,000 cases were handled, showing a 37.5% growth. A total of 3,212 administrative review opinions and suggestions were issued, promoting lawful administration from the ground up.
The report also noted that in 2023, judicial assistance in international cooperation was actively pursued, with the Ministry of Justice processing 228 criminal judicial assistance cases from 37 countries and issuing requests for assistance to nine countries. Additionally, there were 88 cases involving the transfer of individuals in connection with 16 countries.
