Opinion | Two Sessions 2026: Rule of law construction on the way

Two Sessions 2026

2026.03.09 20:20

Today (March 9), the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress held its second plenary meeting.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, delivered a work report of the Standing Committee. The work report was submitted for review.

With a concentration on developing a high-standard socialist market economy, the Standing Committee will enact a state-owned assets law and revise several legislative items, including the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law and the Tax Collection and Administration Law.

Also, to accelerate the development of a financially strong nation, the Standing Committee also plans to enact laws on finance and financial stability, with revisions to the People's Bank of China Law and the Banking Regulation Law.

Furthermore, Chinese lawmakers intend to introduce a law targeting cross-border corruption as part of broader national anti-corruption efforts. They will also intensify legislative research in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court, delivered a work report of the top court. Ying Yong, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, delivered a work report of the top procuratorate at the meeting.

In 2025, a 14-year-old student who killed a female classmate received a life sentence, the harshest penalty for minors. Nationwide, courts imposed sentences of over five years on 2,356 juveniles involved in serious violent crimes. Courts concluded around 40,000 cases involving crimes against minors, a 1.8% decrease from the previous year.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate reported prosecuting 73,000 individuals for crimes against minors, while 56,000 minors were prosecuted for criminal acts. Notably, prosecutions for crimes against minors and juvenile crime cases both declined year-on-year, marking the first "double decline" in five years. Prosecution was approved for 24 minors involved in serious violent crimes, in accordance with the 2021 criminal law amendment allowing for the prosecution of 12-to-14-year-olds for heinous offenses upon approval by the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

China's procurators intensified legal oversight across multiple sectors in the past year (2025). They cracked down on smuggling, financial crimes, and securities violations, while also targeting money laundering and tax evasion, recovering significant funds. Efforts were made to ensure fair treatment of businesses and to protect intellectual property and data security.

At the same time, China has also cracked down on corruption, serious crimes, and telecommunications fraud. Additionally, procurators handled a large number of foreign-related cases.

All these reports demonstrate steady progress in China's rule of law construction. At the legislative level, it closely follows economic priorities, laying the groundwork for the "financial powerhouse" strategy through laws, while proactively planning for emerging areas. In the judicial sector, a balanced approach is taken toward juvenile issues—severe punishments are meted out for extreme violent crimes, while achieving a "double decline" in both crimes against minors and juvenile offenses, signaling initial governance results. Procuratorial oversight has extensively expanded, with deepening functions in recovering illicit gains, combating financial crimes, and protecting intellectual property rights.

Opinion | Two Sessions 2026: Ambitious goals for people's livelihood