| Summary/Abstract |
In this article I analyze the “rule of law” policy, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) adopted as a principle of government at the 15th Party Congress in 1997. I investigate the emergence of rule of law policy and the context in which the CCP introduced it, then examine the concrete measures and actual implementation of the policy. I argue that the rule of law policy is the CCP’s attempt to institutionalize its legal and performance legitimacy. The policy comprises several parts, including intraparty regulations, comprehensive law education for leading cadres, and the readjustment of party-legislative relations. However, the policy has serious problems and consequently has achieved limited results.
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