Empowering the rule of law and providing safeguards for high-quality development.

Authors: Yang Dawei, Sun Ningwei

“High-quality development is the primary task in fully building a modern socialist country.” “Without high-quality development, there can be no talk of socialist modernization,” said General Secretary Xi Jinping at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress, putting forward specific requirements and charting the course for high-quality development. As legal service professionals under socialism with Chinese characteristics, staunch practitioners of the spirit of the Communist Party of China, defenders of the legitimate rights and interests of the people, and builders of a society ruled by law, the legal profession should, on the basis of upholding “Party building as the guiding principle, rule of law as the foundation, integrity as the cornerstone, and standardized practice,” leverage its professional strengths, proactively serve the overall situation, and promote the construction and development of a high-quality, Chinese-style modern society governed by law.

Firmly uphold our faith and faithfully embody the spirit of the Communist Party of China.

A person cannot stand tall without spirit, and a nation cannot become strong without spirit. Looking back over the past century—from the Xibaipo Spirit to the Anti-Epidemic Spirit, from the First National Congress of the CPC to the Twentieth National Congress—the spirit of the Communist Party of China has inspired generation after generation of ambitious young people, guiding each new wave of fresh blood to strive tirelessly. Grounded in the present, with the promulgation and implementation of the Civil Code, the deepening reform of the lawyer system, and the continuous improvement of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics—under the leadership of the Party, the comprehensive rule of law is being steadily advanced. Looking ahead, the legal profession must continue to study and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on the Rule of Law, uphold the Party’s overall leadership over lawyers’ work, adhere to the correct political direction, transform the Party’s spirit into working motivation, put the Party’s spirit into practice, and provide robust legal safeguards for high-quality development.

The people come first; we must earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the masses.

“Building a modern socialist country in all respects, the people are the decisive force,” General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that the power of the people is a vital force in the process of building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation. The people-centered stance is the fundamental political stand of the Communist Party of China. Therefore, the legal profession should uphold the fundamental stance of being lawyers for the people and strive to become lawyers who satisfy both the Party and the people. Lawyers for the people are actively present on the front lines of grassroots governance. In addition to leveraging their professional strengths and outstanding expertise to do their utmost to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of their clients, under the organization of judicial authorities at all levels, Party committees, and bar associations, the legal community has enthusiastically joined the battle against the epidemic, spontaneously providing services to the public through a combination of online and offline approaches: going into communities to answer legal questions related to the epidemic and carry out public legal education on epidemic-related issues; visiting enterprises to provide guidance on epidemic-related legal services, help businesses identify and mitigate legal risks associated with resuming production and work, and establish mechanisms for preventing and controlling legal risks within enterprises; and entering villages and communities to conduct pro bono legal advisory services, guide farmers in exercising their legal rights in an orderly manner, and disseminate legal knowledge to villagers and community residents...

Lawyers are closely connected with the people, safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests, ensuring the proper implementation of the law, and upholding judicial authority. This is both the mission and the inherent responsibility of our legal profession.

Assume responsibilities with courage and jointly build a rule-of-law society characterized by Chinese modernization.

“A modernized country must necessarily be a country governed by the rule of law.” The building of the rule of law is an intrinsic requirement and crucial guarantee for Chinese-style modernization. The development of the rule of law has advanced hand in hand with Chinese-style modernization, and lawyers are a vital force driving this process. To fully harness the role of lawyers in the comprehensive governance of the country according to law, it is essential that lawyers at large courageously shoulder their responsibilities for the times and use high-quality legal services to promote high-quality economic and social development. We must put great effort into “knowing”—strengthening our “four consciousnesses,” firmly upholding our “four self-confidences,” and consistently safeguarding the “two safeguards.” Grounded in the new era and new stage, we should study new cultures and new concepts, draw nourishment from them, and build up fresh strength. In terms of “acting,” we must enhance lawyers’ professional competence, reinforce their awareness of providing legal services, improve their business skills, accumulate rich practical experience, and actively engage in the cause of comprehensive governance of the country according to law. We must implement thoroughly the new arrangements made by the Party in the report to the 20th National Congress into every aspect, stage, and detail of lawyers’ work; precisely define the direction of lawyers’ work; innovate and pool our strengths to map out paths for lawyers’ work; bolster our capacity to provide foreign-related legal services; respond proactively to evolving needs by earnestly carrying out specific measures; and conscientiously fulfill our social responsibilities as lawyers. From the vantage point of promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, we must advance the high-quality development of China’s modern lawyer profession in the new era.

Born at the right time and entrusted with a great responsibility, the Party’s century-long achievements have shaped today’s ambitious goals of building a strong nation and realizing national rejuvenation. As lawyers stepping into a new journey in the new era, we must hold our heads high and stride forward with a fresh outlook, embracing new opportunities and challenges, demonstrating new accomplishments, and achieving new breakthroughs. The greatest truths are often the simplest; what matters most is practical action. We must unswervingly promote high-quality development, adopting a long-term vision, a rigorous attitude, and professional services to pursue high-quality growth in the legal profession of the new era. We will provide legal safeguards for the construction of a socialist rule-of-law state, infuse lawyerly wisdom into the advancement of Chinese-style modernization, and contribute our full strength to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

About the Author:

Yang Dawei, Senior Partner at Liaoning Tongfang Law Firm and a representative of the 19th People’s Congress of Heping District, Shenyang City.

Previously served as a judge in the Civil Adjudication Division of the People’s Court of a certain district in Shenyang, primarily handling real estate cases such as disputes over construction and engineering contracts and land disputes. Later, after being selected, I joined the Standing Committee of the Shenyang Municipal People’s Congress, where I was mainly responsible for local legislation and conducting judicial oversight. In 2017, I joined Tongfang, where I have been primarily engaged in major civil and commercial litigation and arbitration matters, accumulating extensive experience in industries including mineral resources, construction, and real estate.

Sun Ningwei is a practicing lawyer at Liaoning Tongfang Law Firm. She graduated from Liaoning University with a Master’s degree in Law (Jurisprudence). Her practice primarily focuses on areas such as construction engineering, commercial disputes, and banking & finance.