The Significance of Writing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Constitution: A Requirement for Improving the Constitution

A proposal on amendments to China's Constitution was officially approved during the second plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, including writing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into China’s Constitution. It is a pressing need of the development of the Party and the country to elevate the Party’s guiding ideology into one that guides the nation. It also meets the requirement of the Chinese Constitution for its improvement and development.

The current Chinese Constitution was enacted in 1982. It has since undergone four revisions, including 31 amendments, which were essential and important in light of the praxis and development of the country’s reform and opening-up and socialist modernization under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee, and approved by the National People’s Congress (NPC). All changes aim to concrete the great achievements and precious experience that the Party and the people have made into the provisions of the Constitution.

Practices has proved that elevating the Party’s guiding ideology into one that guides the nation through timely Constitutional amendments could realize a high-level integration of the Party’s propositions, the will of the nation, and the wishes of the people, which is of utmost importance to the development of the cause of the Party and the nation. It is one of the successful recipes the Party has accrued in governance since the reform and opening-up; it is also an intrinsic requirement from the Constitution which needs to stay modern to keep pace with the times for improvement and development.

The Resolution of the 19^th CPC National Congress on the Revised Constitution of the CPC established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle of the CPC by enshrining it in the fundamental law of the Party. In doing so, the Party maintains its guiding thought with the current era. The proposed amendment to the Constitution will establish Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance for China’s political and social activities, which will make for the perfection and development of the Constitution, better safeguard the unification, dignity, and authority of the Constitution, and give full play to the Constitution’s role in standardizing, leading, advancing, and guaranteeing political and social life in China.