BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday kicked off a key meeting which centered on "rule of law" for the first time in the Party's history.

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Rule of law In 1997, the Party decided to make "rule of law" a basic strategy and "building a socialist country under the rule of law" an important goal for socialist modernization. Significant progress has since been made in the legal sector. In 2010, the country announced it had established a socialist system of laws. Greater judicial transparency is seen as a result of reforms. Yet the implementation of laws is not ideal.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee - slated for Oct 20-23 - will deliberate on a draft decision of the CPC Central Committee on "major issues concerning comprehensively advancing rule of law," sources close to the meeting said.

The decision is widely expected to set the tone for the CPC to promote rule of law in China in an all-rounded manner under new circumstances.

This is the first time a plenary session of the CPC Central Committee has taken rule of law as its central theme.

China wrote rule of law into its Constitution in the 1990s. The 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1997 decided to make "the rule of law" a basic strategy and "building a socialist country under the rule of law" an important goal for socialist modernization.

The phrase "exercises the rule of law, building a socialist country governed according to law" was added to the Constitution in 1999.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the CPC leadership has taken the view that China is still a country in the primary stage of socialism but at the critical phase in its building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The country's reform has meanwhile entered a critical stage and a deep water zone, they said while warning of "a complicated and changing international situation."

The gravity of the CPC's undertakings in safeguarding China's reform, development and stability is thus unprecedented, and so is the multiplicity of the contradictions, risks and challenges it faces.

Rule of law will henceforth play an ever more prominent and important role in the overall work of the Party and the government, the sources said.

The date of this week's plenary session was set at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Sept. 30.

A statement released after that meeting said rule of law is "a must" if the country wants to build a prosperous society in an all-rounded way, rejuvenate the nation, comprehensively deepen reform, and improve socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Party's governance capability.

Xinhua has learned that opinions have been solicited within and outside the Party for the draft decision on rule of law to be discussed during the plenary session. Suggestions and opinions provided by different places, government departments and delegates of the 18th CPC National Congress have been fully absorbed and reflected in the draft decision.

The Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee will also report its work to the Central Committee during the meeting.