One of the major changes in Chinese government policy since the death of Mao Zedong has been the new emphasis on the need for stability and regularity in everyday life, to be achieved by the systematic codification of laws and the strengthening of...
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One of the major changes in Chinese government policy since the death of Mao Zedong has been the new emphasis on the need for stability and regularity in everyday life, to be achieved by the systematic codification of laws and the strengthening of institutions for administering them. The author surveys some basic features of the Chinese legal landscape, understanding the term 'legal' in the broadest sense - by exploring a large sampling of recent literature, seeing what patterns can be found and what assumptions the writer seems to expect the readers to share. The relative loosening of controls on literature since 1973 has made it a richer source than before for the study of Chinese attitudes and values, not only in politics but in other areas of life as well. (DÜI-Sen)