Communist Party elite give backing to Xi Jinping's drive for legal reforms
Sweeping changes to govern country by law endorsed at meeting amid silence over security tsar and signs that Beijing won't back down in HK
President Xi Jinping's call for sweeping reforms to govern the country by law was endorsed by Communist Party leaders as their key fourth plenary meeting drew to a close yesterday.
But the party remained silent on the fate of disgraced former security tsar Zhou Yongkang , who is under investigation for suspected graft.
A communiqué released after the meeting made no mention of him, but said reports on investigations against several of his former aides had been approved.
More than 360 full and alternate members of the party's Central Committee had spent the past four days at the military's Jingxi Hotel in Beijing for the plenum.
For the first time, the annual meeting was devoted to legal reforms, according to state media. The communiqué said that rule by law should be achieved under the leadership of the party.
"The leadership of the party is the basic requirement of socialist rule by law," it said. Upholding the constitution was a prerequisite for rule by law and the National People's Congress Standing Committee needed a strong mechanism to monitor violations, it said, adding that authorities would trace officials who interfered with legal proceedings and hold them accountable.