Interpreting the Rule of Law in China

With its ample resonance both within China and internationally, the 'rule of law' (yifa zhiguo) is an expression that can justify the most disparate justice reforms. It is both a political value worth defending and a reason for consternation; it is an ideal that is inherently troubling and troubled by its interlocutors, advocates, and critics. For this reason, even the term 'yifa zhiguo' has been translated differently by different interlocutors, with 'rule of law', 'rule by law' and 'ruling the country according to the law' being the most frequent renderings in the English language.