China is going to publish a series of law books through the coming years of the 21st century that will include both the country's up-to-date legal findings and the world's greatest legal decisions in history.

A press release from the China Social Science Documentation Publishing House, which will release the volumes, said today the next century will be an important time for the development of China's legal research.

"The establishment of a market economy and a socialist law system, together with the achievements in China's modernization, will largely promote China's law research," it said.

China has accumulated a long tradition of law throughout its lengthy history, however the country's modern sense of law did not start until the beginning of this century, according to the press release.

"At present, China's law research work has been largely improved, a law system has begun to take shape, and the role of the principle of law has been respected by the whole nation," it said.

Part of the book series has already been published throughout the country.