Editor's note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."

China's lawmakers are about to enact the country's first civil code, which has been in development for the past five years. It incorporates existing civil laws, such as those protecting the right to residence and the right to privacy, along with regulations in some new areas of law, such as privacy of personal data online and virtual property protection.

Professor Sun Xianzhong, a research fellow at the Law Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a deputy to the National People's Congress, says the civil code is a practical document. "The public can find answers in the civil code when they have questions in everyday life," he said.

The civil code is being introduced as the government prepares to achieve its goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects this year. The greater protections it offers for people's rights, especially property rights, the better China's business environment will be, which will help facilitate growth in the economy.

The civil code is a landmark achievement of China's efforts to widely promote the rule of law. And it comes at a time when Chinese society is experiencing a major transformation in its development. Updating the legislation that the rule of law relies on is an important step in the modernization of the national governance system and improving its capacity to respond to the country's needs. As one of the most important laws on the protection of individual rights and interests, the civil code will give a major boost to the level of social fairness and justice in China.

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