The Constitution of the People's Republic of China, 1982
The fundamental law provides that the People's Republic of China (PRC) is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants, with the socialist system as the basis system of the republic. The basis of the socialist economic system of the PRC is socialist public ownership of the means of production, namely, ownership by the whole people and collective ownership by the working people. The constitution also recognizes fundamental rights and duties of citizens. These include:
- Right to equality before the law
- Right to vote
- Right to stand for election
- Freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association and demonstration
- Freedom of religion
- Freedom from unjustified restraint
- Right to human dignity
- Right to protect one's reputation
- Right to privacy
- Right of petition
- Right to work
- Right to rest
- Right to healthcare
- Academic freedom
- Right to just remuneration
- Right to found a family
The constitution also provides for specific duty including the duty to work, duty to serve in the military and duty to pay taxes. The constitution also provides for the structure of the state, with the National People's Congress as the highest organ of state power. Its permanent body is the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The National People's Congress is composed of deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and the special administrative regions, and of deputies elected from the armed forces. The National People's Congress has the power to amend the Constitution, supervise the enforcement of the Constitution, enact basic statutes concerning criminal offenses, civil affairs and the state organs and other matters. It also has the power to elect the President and Vice President of the PRC, to decide on the choice of the Premier of the State Council, as well as the Vice Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in Charge, Auditors General and Secretary General of the State of Counsel. The congress also elects the Chairman of Central Military Commission, as well as the President of the Supreme People's Court and the Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Translation
- English (external link)