China’s ruling Communist party celebrated a new “Constitution Day” on Thursday as it sought to define the direction and limits of legal reform.
In a speech two years ago to mark the 30th anniversary of the current constitution, which was promulgated on December 4 1982, President Xi Jinping said that “no organisation or individual has the privilege to overstep the constitution and the law, and any violation of the constitution and the law must be investigated”.
Coming just weeks after he had assumed power, Mr Xi’s comments were seized on by reformers who believe the Chinese constitution’s guarantee of “freedom of speech, press, assembly, procession and demonstration” should be used to limit party power. They were soon disappointed by a crackdown on dissent that has been a hallmark of Mr Xi’s administration, alongside an aggressive anti-corruption campaign.