Top legislator calls for civil code with Chinese characteristics

China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Monday called for a civil code that is scientific and embodies Chinese characteristics.

Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, made the remarks at a symposium on drafting the general rules of China's Civil Code.

In June, a draft of rules stipulating the Civil Code's basic principles was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for a first reading, marking the start of the legislative procedure of codification.

Compiling the code and formulating the general rules must "uphold the Communist Party's leadership, adhere to the right political direction and stick to the socialist rule of law to ensure that the code reflects the Party's positions, the spirit of the Constitution and the people's will," said Zhang.

He said the work should focus on "showcasing the socialist nature of the state and Chinese characteristics," stressing the importance of being confident in China's political system and culture.

The code should be suitable to the nation's conditions and conducive to solving the practical problems of the time, helping boost development and good governance, Zhang added.

The top legislator also underscored the notion of "governing for the people" and people-centered development in the codification process. "The protection of legal rights of civil subjects must be strengthened through improving the civil law system," he said.

Zhang called on legislators to carry forward the socialist core values and the essence of Chinese traditional culture while compiling the code.

China should learn from, rather than blindly copy, the best practices of other countries in promoting the rule of law, Zhang added. Endi