On January 23-26, 2018, the Investigation Team on the Blue Book on the Rule of Law in Shanxi Province of CASS Law Institute, led by Professor Li Honglei, Head of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Department of CASS Law Institute, carried out on-site investigations on “the construction of a law-based Shanxi Province” in Taiyuan City, Linfen City and other areas of Shanxi Province. The purpose of the investigation wass to get a better understanding of the current situation of and the problems existing in the development of the rule of law in Shanxi Province, so as to accumulate empirical materials for the writing of the Blue Book on the Rule of Law in Shanxi Province. Other members of the Investigation Team included: Ms. Li Xia and Ms. Lu Chao, two associate research fellows of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Department of CASS Law Institute; Mr. Liu Zhixin, a post-doctoral researcher of the CASS Law Institute; and Mr. Yang Kaiyu from China University of Political Science and Law.
In the four-day investigation tour, the Investigation Team attended three colloquia and carried out two field investigations. On the morning of January 24, the investigation team attended a colloquium preside over by Mr. Zhou Tao, Deputy Director of the Office of the Rule of Law of the Provincial Party Committee, in which the team members carried out in-depth exchange of views with the leaders of various departments of the provincial government on the current situation of and problems and difficulties existing in the construction of the rule of law in the province. Professor Li Hong Lei and Ms. Li Xia also exchanged opinions with the local leaders on some important issues relating to the writing of the Blue Book.
On the afternoon of January 24, the Investigation Team attended a colloquium on the construction of the rule of law in Taiyuan City, in which the team members listened to the introductions by persons in charge of the relevant organs of the municipal government on the current situation of and existing problems in the construction of the rule of law in Taiyuan City and exchanged opinions with them on related issues.
After the colloquium, the Investigation Team carried out field investigations in Shengli East Community of Xinghualing District and the judicial offices of Huifeng District and Jiancaoping District.
On the afternoon of January 25, the Investigation Team arrived at Linfen City and convened the Colloquium on the Construction of the Rule of Law in Linfen City. At the colloquium, presided over by Mr. Zhang Ninghong, Deputy Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Municipal Party Committee of Linfen City, the team members listened to reports by relevant persons on the experiences of Linfen City in the construction of a law-based city and exchanged opinions with leaders of relevant government organs on various issues relating to the construction of the rule of law in the city.
On January 26, the Investigation Team, accompanied by the relevant leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, Municipal Party Committee of Linfen City and the Government of Hongdong County, carried out field investigation on the construction of the rule of law in Hongdong County.
The investigation tour has enabled the Investigation Team to have a deep understanding of the current situation of construction of the rule of law in Shanxi Province and to listen to the opinions of various organs of governments at provincial, municipal, county and township levels on the construction of the local rule of law, thereby accumulating rich and detailed empirical materials for the writing of the Blue Book on the Rule of Law in Shanxi Province as well as for the next stage of research work of the Investigation Team.