The fourth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee concluded in Beijing Thursday. The session was devoted to the central theme of “rule of law” for the first time in history of Party meetings.

According to an official statement released after the meeting, the overall goal of the reforms is to “form a system serving the socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics” and to build a socialist country under the rule of law.

It also said that China will aim to build a stronger legal system that is both fairer and more reliable. Some major tasks highlighted include more public awareness of the legal system, and stronger party leadership in pushing forward rule of law.

The meeting also endorsed prior decisions to expel six former officials from the party, while three new members have been named to fill the vacancies in the CPC central committee.

Among the expelled are three central committee members, including Li Dongsheng, former vice minister of public security; Jiang Jiemin, former head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission; and Yang Jinshan, former deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Area Command of the People’s Liberation Army.

Three alternative central committee members are also expelled, namely, Wang Yongchun, Li Chuncheng, and Wan Qingliang.

Three new officials have been named as CPC central committee members, including Ma Jiantang, Wang Zuo’an and Mao Wanchun. Ma is chief of the National Bureau of Statistics, Wang is director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, and Mao is member of the standing committee of the CPC Shaanxi provincial committee.

For more insight, CCTV America spoke to Neysun Mahboubi. He is a research scholar of the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania.

Daniel Levin is an advisor to governments on political and economic development and Wang Xuewen is Former Deputy Chief of International Business Daily.

Article by CCTV News

Read More:

CPC convenes Fourth Plenary Session

CPC Central Committee discusses increased efforts to fight corruption