Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the country's political and legal affairs departments to deepen ongoing judicial reforms to give a boost to the country's judicial credibility and people's sense of security.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks in a written instruction on political and legal work.
A central conference on political and legal work opened on Friday in Beijing. Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, delivered Xi's instructions to the meeting.
In his instruction, Xi, who is on a tour of the Middle East, commended the Party's political and legal work over the past year. He said China's judicial reforms and the establishment of a multi-level social security system were off to a good start in 2015.
In the new year of 2016, political and legal affairs departments must further step up efforts to "prevent and contain risks" and work to facilitate China's economic and social development.
They shall build up capacities to safeguard national security and social stability so as to augment citizens' sense of security, and shall comprehensively deepen judicial reforms in order to boost people's confidence in the system, he said.
Team building must also be strengthened to cultivate a clean judicial environment, the president said.
Xi also urged Party committees at all levels to improve leadership in political and legal work, and support judiciary organs in their duties.
A statement issued after the political and legal affairs meeting pledged creating a secure and stable social environment, a fair and just judicial environment and a quality and effective service environment for China's social and economic developments during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).
Meng Jianzhu urged stepping up early warning and prevention and control of risks and safeguarding political, financial and public security as well as cybersecurity.
Judicial reforms, which are now being piloted in 18 provincial level localities in the country, shall be promoted across the country, Meng said.
Friday's conference came a little more than a year after the Party promised sweeping judical reforms in the country's legal system, unveiled in a new blueprint on the rule of law adopted at a key CPC meeting in late 2014.
Despite continuous efforts in the recent years to boost judicial justice, the judicial system is still dogged by unfair trials and corrupt judges, Xi said at the meeting, denouncing judges and prosecutors who manipulate cases in exchange for money or favors.
A decision adopted at the meeting vowed to ensure the independence of courts and prosecutors, while promising the supreme authority of the Constitution.
Fourteen months after that meeting, key progress in upholding the rule of law has been made.
Government and Party officials were told not to "meddle" in court cases, while circuit courts were set up by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) for major administrative, civil and commercial cases involving different administrative regions, making it easier for local communities to file suits.
Meanwhile, the country's Legislative Law was revised last year, delegating legislative power to more lower-level bodies and prohibiting ministries and local governments from arbitrarily issuing rules and policies that undermine citizens' rights or increase their obligations without legal foundation so as to rein in administrative power.
In addition, Chinese officials in state organs are now required to pledge allegiance to the Constitution when taking their posts.
Pledging allegiance is not just a symbolic move, but a showcase of firm belief towards the rule of law, said Jiang Ming'an, a law professor with the Peking University.
Recalling changes that have been made in 2015, Jiang said China is already on the fast track for the rule of law.
"By making China's law systems more complete and just, the power of rule of law will without doubt play a major part in safeguarding China's economic, social, cultural and ecological developments during the 13th Five-Year Plan period," he said.
