On December 9, 2019, the CCTV Program "Topics in Focus" reported the activity - “Robot Tells Me about the Constitution” - organized by CASS Institute of Law and CASS Institute of International Law in celebration of the Sixth National Constitutional Day and made an exclusive interview of Professor Mo Jihong, Director of the CASS Institute of International Law, on some issues relating to the current Chinese Constitution.
In the interview, Professor Mo pointed out that the current constitution, namely the 1982 Constitution, is the best constitution in the history of the People’s Republic of China because it adapts to the needs of reform and opening up, especially the need of socialist modernization construction, and restores the people’s congress system as the basic political system in China. It is also an open constitution that advances with the times: since 1982, the current constitution has been revised five times: the 1988 amendment actually allows the transfer of land within the scope prescribed by law; the 1993 amendment establishes the legal status of socialist market economy; the 1999 amendment establishes the construction of a socialist state under the rule of law as a basic strategy of state governance; the 2004 amendment established the principle of respecting and protecting human rights; and the 2018 amendment established the position of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a New Era. From the above we can see that whenever China encounters new issues in state and social governance, it amends the Constitution to provide new constitutional basis for the relevant reforms.
The life of constitution lies in its implementation. The CPC pointed out at the Fourth Plenary Session of its Nineteenth Central Committee that China would improve the institutional mechanism for ensuring the comprehensive implementation of the Constitution. In order for the Constitution to truly play its role, everyone, especially leading cadres, should understand, respect, and uphold the Constitution. In the past week, various forms of activity of publicity of the Constitution have been held in various parts of the country to enable the Constitution to take roots in the people’s heart. The Constitution, as the basic law of the country, has the highest legal effect and is the foundation of the state system and the governance system. We should not only respect the Constitution, study the Constitution, but also abide by, uphold and apply the Constitution, learn the Constitution by heart and become law-abiding citizens.
The following is a video link to the interview: http://iolaw.cssn.cn/rdsp/201912/t20191210_5056047.shtml
