Fundamental principles of Constitution
The People's Republic of China is a socialist country led by the working class, based on the worker-peasant alliance and practicing people's democratic centralism. The socialist system is the primary system in China.
The Constitution
The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state. It usually stipulates a country's social system and basic principles of state system, the basic principles of activities and organizations of state departments, and the basic rights and obligations of its citizens. Some constitutions also legalize the national flag, anthem, emblem, capital, and other systems that the government believes touches the lives of its citizens. The constitution is entitled with the highest legislative power. All other laws and regulations have to subject to the constitution and shall be strictly consistent with it.
Prior to the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was adopted. It was not only a common program for the democratic united front of the Chinese people, but was also a temporary constitution for China prior to the adoption of the current Constitution.The Common Program was passed at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on September 29th 1949.
Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1st 1949, four constitutions have been adopted and amended in 1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982. The fourth constitution, which is the existing constitution, was adopted on the fifth Plenary Session on the Fifth National People's Congress on December 4th 1982. This constitution has followed and developed the basic principles set in the 1954 constitution. It narrates the experience of the development of Chinese socialism and summarizes the international history for socialist development. This is a basic law: to serve and modernize Chinese