Xi Jinping faces challenge of governing through two opposing schools of thought

The theme of last month's fourth plenum was the "rule by law" - but President Xi Jinping wants it to be complemented by the "rule of virtue".

"To realise these goals [of ruling in accord with the law, we] must uphold the combination of ruling the nation in accord with the law and ruling it with virtue," said a document approved at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee.

Xi, who has often argued that "rule by law" and "rule of virtue" must go hand in hand, repeated the assertion in his keynote speech to the party enclave.

Since taking power, Xi has been on a quest to find a new moral and ethical foundation for what he calls the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation".

That mission is taking him deep into Chinese history and tradition. The idea of "rule by law" - or "rule of law" - and "rule of virtue" reflect the two main schools of governance that have long dominated China's history - "Legalism" and "Confucianism".

But the deeper issue is how Xi's hunt for answers from history will guide the country's development - and how he will seek to apply these traditional philosophies to modern governance.