Beijing's tilt from Rule by Law to Rule of Law was synthesized by Peking University Law School Professor Jiang Ming'an 姜明安 at the seminar on "The Formation and Prospects of Contemporary Chinese Administrative Law" on 6 October 2023, where he outlined the following shifts "Caging the Leviathan" under various headings:
The Mindset
(a) Government can make mistakes by infringing on citizen rights;
(b) Officials are not people's masters but their servants bound by law; citizens are free to act unless explicitly forbidden by law;
(c) Citizens are entitled to sue the government and to win according to law.
Methods of Governance
(a) Officials should not just follow orders but also adhere to established principles;
(b) Governance should not be based on coercion but to include participation and interaction;
(c) Law should also be supported by administrative agreements, guidance and soft tactics;
(d) Emphasis should move from speed and efficiency to due process and protection of citizens rights.
The Party
(a) Emphasis is shifting from class struggle, GDP growth, and material development to fairness, justice, social, ecological and political civilization;
(b) Direction is to move from Rule by Policies and Law to Rule of Law.
