The Second Understanding China Conference was held in Beijing during November 1-3. It was collectively sponsored by the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, the 21st Century Council (Nicolas Berggruen Institute), and the Beijing government.

Nearly 400 Chinese and foreign diplomats and well-known experts joined the meeting. Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli was present at the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Zheng Bijian， president of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, Nicolas Berggruen, and Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs vice-chairman Lu Shumin attended the opening dinner party and delivered speeches as well.

Tao Kaiyuan, vice-president of the supreme court delivered a speech on making full use of the people’s court to offer legal services for the national 2016-2020 plan.

Tao reviewed the long-term development of China’s democracy and legal system since the reform and opening up and the central government’s focus on the rule of law, as well as important deployments made during the third and fourth plenary sessions of the 18th CPC National Congress. Tao repeated the importance of using legal thinking and methods to boost development, improving the Party’s governance abilities based on constitutional laws, and managing the Party’s ability by relevant regulations.

Tao pointed out that the goal of judicial reform was to establish a fair, effective and authoritative social justice system and modernize the national governance system and capacity. The leadership team for comprehensively deepening reform has paid great attention to judicial reform. It has held 17 meetings since its establishment, and 12 of them involved judicial reform. The supreme court formulated opinions on comprehensively deepening court reform this February. The focus of the reform was on maturing a legal responsibility system, improving judicial authority operation mechanisms, advancing trial-based litigation system reform, strengthening human rights judicial safeguards, improving the system of people's assessors, and comprehensively implementing a case-filing system. At the same time, efforts will be made to push for court organization and case jurisdiction systems reform and the use of information to improve judicial publicity.

Tao also called upon relevant personnel to exchange notes on the national 2016-2020 plan and rule of law, and to publicize China’s legal administration ideas to the outside world while introducing advanced foreign experiences in China.