China marks first Constitution Day amid legal push

Beijing: China on Thursday marked its first Constitution Day as part of President Xi Jinping's drive to show that the country embraces rule of law while ensuring that the ruling Communist Party holds on to its unrivaled authority.

The new holiday was being commemorated with nationwide activities in schools, government offices and state-owned companies.

It is part of Xi's campaign to institutionalise the party's powers while strengthening the country's legal system to reduce corruption and improve government efficiency. Scores of serving and retired top officials have been detained on corruption charges.

Critics point to inherent contradictions in the rule of law campaign, including the party's refusal to accept independent oversight and honour constitutional guarantees such as the right to free speech and religious assembly. Activists who have advocated stricter adherence to the constitution as a way of holding the country's leaders accountable typically have been treated as subversives and have been detained.

China has enacted four constitutions since the communist state's founding in 1949, with the current version adopted in 1982. Its first article forbids any challenge to the country's socialist system, though it does not explicitly mention the Communist Party's control of the country.