Understanding Xi Jinping's “Rule of Law” Campaign

The Chinese Communist Party passed a reform plan to build the “rule of law”, vowing to lessen local officials' authority over the legal system, promote legal professionalism and affirm the Party's domination in legal issues. These initiatives reflect Xi's effort to institutionalise his anti-corruption campaign. Yet the rule of law goes counter to the country's Confucian or Legalist traditions, the weak law-making and judicial system and other structural factors.