Rule of law is order of the day for Xi Jinping

Beijing's leaders will be hoping there is some truth to the Chinese saying, "Great disorder leads to great order". That after the chaos and uncertainty of the ongoing mass protests in Hong Kong, "great order" will follow. But just how will this "order" come about?

The answer to that question will to a certain extent be decided at the upcoming fourth plenary session of the 18th party congress, to be held in the capital from October 20 to 23.

After two years in the top job, President Xi Jinping has a clear agenda for this important meeting: the rule of law. The fourth plenum is usually about strengthening governance, and Xi will use the rule of law to consolidate his power and give further legitimacy to his anti-corruption drive. A final decision is also expected on the graft investigation of former security tsar Zhou Yongkang.

Beijing will also be reflecting on the events of the past two weeks in Hong Kong, where the rule of law is a point of pride and differentiation from the mainland. State media outlets have jumped on the protests, with some asking whether the rule of law has "taken a vacation" in Hong Kong.

In fact there has been a consistent message from state media over the past two weeks: it has been a handful of people - not the students - acting illegally to damage the rule of law in Hong Kong, to the detriment of the city; and these people should be made to face the music.

This could be viewed as no more than predictable ranting from Beijing. But a warning from the Bar Association that civil disobedience was no defence against a criminal charge was a stark reminder of how the rule of law could be used by authorities to break the deadlock.

The association stated: "Even on a sympathetic view of civil disobedience, it is essential for participants to respect the rights and freedoms of other people who do not necessarily agree with their views and not to cause excessive damage or inconvenience."