A White Paper on the country's efforts and achievements in promoting the rule of law was released yesterday by the Information Office of the State Council.

The paper covers such topics as the historical course of building a socialist country under the rule of law, legislation and a legal system with Chinese characteristics, legal remedies to respect and safeguard human rights, and other social and economic issues.

The top legislature, the National People's Congress, and its Standing Committee have enacted 229 laws currently in effect, the paper says.

The laws cover all branches of legislation including the Constitution and Constitution-related laws, civil, commercial, administrative, economic and criminal laws, and litigation and non-litigation procedural laws, says the paper entitled China's Efforts and Achievements in Promoting the Rule of Law.

As supplements, the State Council, the cabinet, has enacted nearly 600 administrative regulations currently in effect, the paper says.

The highlights of the document are:

The country has established "a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics" with the Constitution at the core.

The country has formulated and improved a series of legal systems to codify and institutionalize the safeguarding of human rights.

The country has joined 22 international human rights conventions.

The country has continuously strengthened legislation in economic and related fields.

"A legal system compatible with the socialist market economy has basically taken shape," it says.

(Xinhua News Agency February 29, 2008)