The rule of law is one of the core values of socialism, and developing a rule of law country is one of the goals of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1978, the Party has adopted law-based governance as its fundamental policy for leading the people in governing the country. At the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in October 2014, the Central Committee, drawing on over 30 years of practice and exploration, for the first time made the rule of law the theme of a resolution adopted at a plenary session, proposing comprehensively advancing the law-based governance of China, developing a socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics, and establishing a socialist country governed by the rule of law.

Comprehensively advancing the law-based governance of China is one element of the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy adopted by the CPC led by General Secretary Xi Jinping. It is a major matter of strategic importance that has an important bearing on the Party's governance and national rejuvenation, as well as on the wellbeing of the people and the lasting stability of the Party and the country. It is necessary in order to improve and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and to modernize the country's governance system and its capacity for governance.

This work is a translation of a collection of 193 excerpts compiled by the Party Literature Research Office of the CPC Central Committee of Xi Jinping's expositions on comprehensively advancing the law-based governance of China. The excerpts, which deal with eight topics, have been selected from more than 30 of his speeches, reports, comments, and directives dating between December 4, 2012 and February 2, 2015.

The purpose of this book is to help readers gain a clearer understanding of the resolve, concepts, strategies, and approaches which underpin the CPC's work to advance the law-based governance of China by offering the opportunity to view them through the eyes of China's top leader.

The Compilation and Translation Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

September 2016