BEIJING -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held its tenth collective study session on the afternoon of Nov 27 on strengthening the development of foreign-related legal system. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized at the session that strengthening foreign-related rule of law is a long-term requirement for building China into a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization. It is also an urgent task for advancing high-level opening up and dealing with external risks and challenges. It is essential to understand the importance and urgency of the job for better coordinating domestic and international situations and ensuring both the country's development and security. It is important to develop a foreign-related legal system and capacity that can meet the needs of high-quality development and high-level opening up, and create favorable legal and external conditions for China's long-term and stable development along the Chinese path to modernization.

Huang Huikang, distinguished professor at Wuhan University, gave a lecture and put forward suggestions. Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee listened attentively and conducted a discussion afterwards.

Xi delivered an important speech after listening to the lecture and discussion. He pointed out that law is a set of rules to regulate how people behave in social activities and how a country is governed. The foreign-related legal system is an important part of the national legal systems and the cornerstone of foreign-related rule of law, which plays an important part in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations and facilitating long-term development. On the new journey of building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation, we must follow the correct political direction, and take it as a responsibility for the future with spirit of enterprise to accelerate the development of China's foreign-related rule of law and the capacity for putting it into practice.

Xi noted that foreign-related rule of law, as an important part of the socialist rule of law systems with Chinese characteristics, bears on law-based governance on all fronts and the overall situation of China's opening up and diplomatic work. The fundamental purpose of advancing foreign-related rule of law is to better safeguard the interests of the country and the people, promote the progress of international rule of law and the development of a community with a shared future for humanity. It is imperative to steadfastly follow the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics.

Xi pointed out that foreign-related rule of law is a comprehensive and highly interconnected system that needs to take into consideration both domestic and international situations, as well as development and security. It requires forward-looking thinking, overall planning, strategic layout, and promotion in a holistic manner. It is necessary to strengthen top-level design, promote foreign-related legislation, law enforcement, justice, legal compliance by the public, and legal services in a coordinated manner, thus establishing a collaborative working pattern in this regard. With the principle of legislation first, introducing, amending, abolishing and interpreting laws must be carried out simultaneously, so as to establish a comprehensive and complete system of foreign-related laws and regulations. It is essential to build a well-coordinated and efficient implementation system for foreign-related rule of law, improve the judicial effectiveness of foreign-related law enforcement, promote reform of the foreign-related judicial trial system and mechanisms, and boost the credibility of foreign-related justice. It is imperative to actively develop foreign-related legal services, and cultivate a batch of world-class arbitration institutions and law firms. Xi stressed the need to deepen international cooperation in law enforcement and judiciary, strengthen consular protection and assistance, and build a strong legal security chain to protect China's overseas interests. It is essential to strengthen compliance awareness, guide Chinese citizens and enterprises to abide by local laws, regulations, and customs while "going global," and to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests through the application of laws and rules.

Xi stressed the need to firmly safeguard the international order based on international laws, participate in the formulation of international rules, and promote the rule of law in international relations. China will actively participate in the reform and development of the global governance system, promote its development towards a more just and reasonable direction, use good international laws to promote global governance, and contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi pointed out that the rule of law goes hand in hand with opening up. As opening up advances further, the foreign-related rule of law must also progress accordingly. The rule of law should serve as a basis for high-level opening up, the expansion of which should go along with the development of the foreign-related rule of law, so as to build a solid legal foundation in this regard. The rule of law secures the best business environment. We must improve the foreign-related legal system to make it more open and transparent, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign-funded companies, and make good use of both domestic and international rules to foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized. Xi noted the need for China to align itself with and absorb high-standard international economic and trade rules, steadily expand institutional opening up, and further promote trade and investment liberalization so as to develop a new system for a higher-level open economy. Against advanced global level, the effective measures and mature experience drawn from high-level opening up such as pilot free trade zones should be transformed into laws in a timely manner to develop a new and more influential hub for opening up with higher standards and a better business environment. Efforts should be made to strengthen the capacity to secure opening up in accordance with the law. And measures as well as relevant laws and regulations should be optimized to facilitate the life of foreign residents in China.

Xi stressed the need to strengthen the training of professionals and the building of qualified teams. It is imperative to cultivate virtuous professionals and moral education must go along with the study of laws. Efforts must be made to strengthen the development of academic disciplines to secure sound legal education. A practice-oriented training mechanism should be optimized to foster a batch of competent legal professionals with firm political stand, a good command of international rules and exceptional proficiency in foreign legal practices. The mechanisms for the introduction, selection, use, and management of professionals should be improved, and the work in the training of high-level professionals in foreign-related legal affairs should be done well and so should the building of a reserve of such personnel. Work must be done to strengthen the capacity of foreign-related officials in developing and practicing the rule of law with a view to building a team of high-quality and competent professionals for the sector. Leading officials at all levels should take the lead in respecting, studying, following, and using the law, and in strengthening their awareness of the foreign-related rule of law and their capacity to do their work in accordance with the law.

Xi noted that we must have confidence in the rule of law, elucidating China's rule of law in the new era by interpreting the concepts, propositions, and practices of China's unique foreign-related rule of law. To give prominence to China as a country with strong rule of law and a great civilization, Xi stressed the need to strengthen research on cutting-edge issues about the foreign-related rule of law, so as to build a theoretical system and discourse with Chinese characteristics in this regard by integrating both domestic and international practices. The Chinese legal system has a long history, and its fine traditional legal culture contains rich thinking about the rule of law and profound political wisdom, making it a treasure of Chinese culture. It is necessary to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of our own traditional legal culture, endowing China's rule of law with new connotations and stimulating its vitality.