Timeline of China's important legal milestones

・ 1954

China's first Constitution is enacted, laying the groundwork for the draft of the country's current Constitution.

・ 1978

The third plenary session of the 11th Communist Party of China Central Committee shapes a new period of the country's reform and opening-up, during which the development of a socialist democracy and improved socialist laws became a key policy for the Party and the nation.

・ 1982

The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopts the current Constitution, providing a great legal guarantee for China's reform and opening-up as well as the building of a modern socialist country.

・ 1997

The 15th CPC National Congress announces the building of a socialist country governed by the rule of law, stressing the rule of law is the basic strategy for the Party to lead the people in the country's governance.

・ 2012

The 18th CPC National Congress opens a new chapter of building the socialist rule of law. Since then, the country has advanced law-based governance in all aspects.

・ 2020

A conference on work related to overall law-based governance is held in Beijing. It marks the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and its status as the guiding ideology for law-based governance in China.

・ 2021

The Civil Code, a fundamental law for regulating civil activities, takes effect with general provisions and six individual sections, such as family and marriage, inheritance and contract.