Despite all the official clarifications about our judicial system and protection of people's rights, the biases and misunderstandings of some outsiders persist and continue to make the country a target for criticism.

Knowing how the country's judiciary has become what it is, as well as how it works, will help eliminate some of these misconceptions. So the first-ever white paper on Chinese judicial reform, which presents an overall picture of the Chinese judicial apparatus and its evolution, is a welcome effort to establish a clearer understanding of law enforcement in China.

The document provides ample evidence that the Chinese judicial regime is not as outlandish or crude as Western propaganda likes to portray, and it offers precious insight into the Chinese practice of the rule of law.