China Program Law (English Version) - Bilingual Legal Textbook for Higher Education

Author: Zhu Yikun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features: In the face of the challenges of economic globalization and technological revolution, China's legal system has been increasingly aligning with international standards; the internationalization of legal education in our country is self-evident. Guided by the trends, the Ministry of Education issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Teaching of Undergraduate Courses in Higher Education and Improving Teaching Quality" in 2001, known as the No. 4 Document of 2001 (hereinafter referred to as "The Opinions"). It proposed twelve measures to enhance the quality of undergraduate teaching, among which the eighth measure was actively promoting the use of foreign languages, including English, in teaching at domestic higher education institutions, actively creating conditions for the use of English and other foreign languages in public and professional courses. For law and other disciplines, "The Opinions" explicitly required that foreign language teaching courses should be implemented first, striving to achieve 5% to 10% of foreign language teaching courses among all offered courses within three years. To this end, many universities have successively attempted to teach some law courses in English, and many universities have even established international colleges where all courses are taught in English, with "Introduction to Law" or "Basic Principles of Law" being compulsory public courses for all majors. Law has its own unique conceptual system, which includes many difficult and obscure professional terms. Reading in Chinese is already daunting, and teaching and learning in an English context, without English textbooks, makes it even easier for students to feel lost in a maze. Therefore, the urgency of compiling law textbooks suitable for all-English teaching is self-evident. China’s Procedural Law (A Procedural Law of China) is an all-English textbook that adopts an internationally aligned, reader-centered (reader-friendly) writing style. The book closely follows the logical system of the current procedural law, covering an overview of procedural law, administrative procedures, civil litigation, administrative litigation, criminal litigation, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, succinctly outlining the basic institutions of China's current procedural law. The selection of materials is precise, the structure is clear, and the main and secondary points are distinct, discarding minor details. Readers can grasp a relatively comprehensive and systematic understanding of China's procedural law in a short time. To achieve the goal of simplicity, this book has boldly explored or innovated in terms of its format structure and the presentation of viewpoints. In summary, there are four main points: (1) Each chapter begins with a brief section, especially tables, that succinctly links the vast legislation into propositions, outlining the overall picture and evolution of the laws and regulations involved in the field, enabling readers to gain a general grasp and understanding of the legislative framework of the field, laying a foundation for understanding the subsequent specific institutional arrangements. (2) The main text introduces multiple carefully selected cases to illustrate the law. This not only vividly and concisely explains the relevant legal systems but also inspires readers to think deeply and grasp the subtleties, enabling them to generalize and apply the knowledge. (3) It designs and uses 47 charts (41 tables and 6 figures). Legal concepts and rules can be extremely complex, but by carefully organizing them into tables and graphics, they are simplified into clear and concise themes, which helps in horizontal comparisons and research, allowing readers to appreciate the subtle differences between different systems. (4) It boldly uses standardized abbreviations, and a dedicated abbreviations section is provided after the main text index, reducing or eliminating redundant text and significantly saving space, making it easier for readers to read.