CIAO DATE: 10/05

Judicial Reform in China: Lessons from Shanghai

Abstract

The George W. Bush administration in September 2002 laid out in the "National Security Strategy of the United States" its strategy toward China: "We welcome the emergence of a strong, peaceful, and prosperous China." ¹ During a trip to Asia in March 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice adopted a similar phrase to welcome "the rise of a confident, peaceful, and prosperous China."

Implicit in Washington's message is its concern about the potential threat of China's rise. To eas such concern prevailing outside China and to respond to criticisms about the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) governance spreading across the country, Beijing has vowed to establish a "socialist harmonious society" that features, among other characteristics, the rule of law, fairness, and justice.

Endnotes

Note 1: "National Security Strategy of the United States" (Washington, D.C.: The White House, 2002), p. 27, available at www. whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf

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