Top Legislator Hails Achievements in Legal Construction

"21st Century Forum of International Law School Deans " Held in Beijing

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Li Peng, top Chinese legislator said in Beijing on December 3 that marked achievements of legal construction in China have drawn worldwide attention, and research on laws in China has an increasing impact on global affairs.

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress£¨NPC£©, made the remarks at a forum for deans from 130 law schools around the world, who gathered here Sunday celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Law School in the People's University of China£¨PUC£©.

At the three-day forum, the deans are expected to exchange views on the reform and development of legal education in the 21st century.

While extending his congratulations to the gathering, Li expressed his warm welcome to the law experts from around the world.

Addressing the gathering, Li said that "governing the country according to law" has been written in China's Constitution amended in 1999. He added that the NPC and its Standing Committee, as the top legislature of the country, is responsible for the creation of laws and the supervision of law enforcement.

Since China pursued the reform and opening-up policy, considerable progress has been made in the construction of socialist democracy and the legal system. A socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics has been established with the Constitution as its core, which lays a solid foundation for governing the country according to law.

Li pointed out that the gathering will promote academic exchanges and cooperation in law-making , judicial construction and law education and studies.

Although China adopts the NPC system as its political system, which is different from the systems in many other countries, the difference does not necessarily hinder academic exchanges between China and other countries, Li said, noting that exchanges will promote mutual communication and understanding and further the development of legal construction in China

Li hails the People's University of China for its role in educating personnel for legislatures, judicial departments and academic institutions, and thus contributing to the reform of the political system and legal construction.

Li concluded his speech by extending his hope that the People's University of China, as a first-rate university majoring in humanities, will become a first-rate university in the world in the near future.

Argentine President Fernando de la Rua, an honorary D. of Law of the PUC, sent a congratulatory letter to the gathering, saying that this is an important step to promote the exchange of views on legal education between law experts from all over the world.

Those attending the gathering included Luo Gan, State councilor, Jiang Chunyun, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Xiao Yang , president of the Supreme People's Court, Han Zhubin, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and Ren Jianxin, Zhang Siqing and Luo Haocai, vice chairmen of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference£¨CPPCC £©.

Ren Jianxin , who is also president of the China Law Society£¨CLS £©, announced the founding of the Law Education Research Center, which is under the CLS.

Ji Baocheng, president of the PUC, proposed at the gathering that the law school deans' forum be held every three years.

The forum is expected to cover other topics, such as the cultivation of law personnel, reform of legal education, legal culture in the east and west, laws and globalization and judicial reform, among others.