1. Introduction: The Road and Theory of Socialist Rule of Law with Chinese Characteristics

The Decision of the CPC Central Committee concerning Several Major Issues in Comprehensively Advancing Governance by Law, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the Eighteenth CPC Central Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Decision), has for the first time in history made an overall strategic arrangement in the form of the highest-level political document of the ruling party for the construction of the system of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics and a socialist state under the rule of law, for promoting and safeguarding the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics, for modernizing the system and capacity of state governance, and for deepening in an all-round way various reforms under new situation by comprehensively advancing governance by law and strengthening the construction of the rule of law, thereby providing important institutional and legal safeguards for building China into a moderately well-off society in an all-round way and for realizing the Chinese dream of rejuvenating the Chinese nation. The Decision expounds the CPC’s political idea and strategic thinking of ruling the country by law and draws a grand blueprint of construction of socialist state under the rule of law. As a programmatic document on comprehensive advancement of ruling the country by law, it is of profound realistic and historical significance.