Standing at the intersection of the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan, 2025 outlines the future with the brush of the rule of law. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China set the tone for the next five years, the official implementation of the Private Economy Promotion Law has given private enterprises a "reassurance pill", and the Public Security Administration Punishment Law has undergone its first major revision in nearly 20 years. In this year, Hainan Free Trade Port implemented full-island closure, taking a crucial step towards high-level opening up; in this year, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and the Taiwan Retrocession Day was established in the form of law.This is a year of inheriting the past and ushering in the future.

I. The Successful Convening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China: Outlining a New Blueprint for the Rule of Law in the 15th Five-Year Plan

"Strengthen procuratorial supervision and enhance public interest litigation" — The public interest litigation system has been forged over a decade.

【Event Review】

From October 20 to 23, 2025, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in Beijing. The plenary session deliberated and adoptedthe "Proposal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development", making top-level design and strategic planning for the development in the next 5 years.

The plenary session highly appraised the major achievements made in China's development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, and clearly proposed to "Strengthen procuratorial supervision and enhance public interest litigation", pointing out the direction for the development of the public interest litigation system. This is another general mobilization and overall deployment for advancing the Chinese path to modernization in a sequential manner.

【Lu Heng's View】

The new deployment of the construction of the rule of law at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China marks that comprehensively advancing the rule of law has entered a new stage. From "exploring the establishment of a system for procuratorial organs to initiate public interest litigation" to "expanding the scope of public interest litigation cases", from "improving the public interest litigation system" to "strengthening public interest litigation",the 10-year development course of the public interest litigation system profoundly reflects the foresight and sagacity of the Party Central Committee in adhering to building a modern socialist country in an all-round way on the track of the rule of law.

In October 2025, thedraft Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Lawwas submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for its first deliberation. This is a key measure to summarize the 10-year practical experience of public interest litigation and solve practical problems, marking that China's public interest litigation system has entered a new stage of special legislative protection.

The rule of law is becoming a solid guarantee for advancing the Chinese path to modernization.

II. The Official Implementation of the Private Economy Promotion Law: Private Enterprises Welcome a "Reassurance Pill" for Development

"The rule of law is the best business environment."

【Event Review】

On April 30, 2025, the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress adopted the"People's Republic of China Private Economy Promotion Law", which was officially implemented on May 20. As China's first basic law specially formulated to promote the development of the private economy,it for the first time wrote the "two unswerving principles" into lawand clarified the legal status of the private economy.

Over the past year, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has organized a centralized clean-up of regulations, rules, judicial interpretations and other normative documents involving the development of the private economy, promoting and urging the formulation authorities to amend and abolish a total of1,466various normative documents related to the development of the private economy and fair market competition.

The investment enthusiasm of private capital has continued to rise, and the momentum of innovation has been accelerated.

【Lu Heng's View】

The private economy is a vital force for advancing the Chinese path to modernization. The introduction of the Private Economy Promotion Law has given private enterprises a "reassurance pill" at the legal level. In response to phenomena such as the "long-range fishing" - style law enforcement that infringed on the rights and interests of private enterprises in the past, this law stabilizes expectations through the rule of law, allowing entrepreneurs to operate with peace of mind and invest with confidence.

In 2025, the record and review system continued to play a role, with a total of6,705review suggestions received from citizens and organizations throughout the year, arecord highin quantity. The rule of law is the best business environment; only when private enterprises feel fairness and justice can the market burst with vitality.

III. The Public Security Administration Punishment Law Undergoes Its First Major Revision in Nearly 20 Years

"Absorbing more than 130,000 public opinions to respond to the new expectations of the people."

【Event Review】

In 2025, the"Public Security Administration Punishment Law", which has been in effect for nearly 20 years, underwent its first comprehensive revision. This law, which absorbed more than130,000public opinions, focuses on new issues in social governance, adding regulations on28 categoriesof illegal acts such as high-altitude parabolic objects and interference with public transportation. It not only increases the punishment for acts that seriously endanger public security, but also improves humanistic care clauses such as corrective education for minors.

The revision process fully reflected legislative democracy — every link from the solicitation of opinions on the draft to the final adoption demonstrated the vivid practice of whole-process people's democracy.

【Lu Heng's View】

The revision of the Public Security Administration Punishment Law is an important legislative achievement in the field of social governance in 2025. From a legal perspective, the addition of regulations on illegal acts such as high-altitude parabolic objects responds to the people's concern about "safety above the head"; the improvement of corrective education clauses for minors embodies the legal concept ofcombining education with punishment.

In this year, the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee deliberated a total of39drafts of laws, legal interpretations and relevant decisions, and adopted25of them, including6newly formulated laws and15amended laws. One after another, laws that embody the spirit of the rule of law and carry the people's expectations have been introduced, andthe foundation of good governance through sound laws has become increasingly solid.

IV. Revision of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law: Targeting "Involutionary" Low-Price Competition

"From 'race to the bottom' competition to quality-based competition."

【Event Review】