But as China’s society progressively emancipated itself from direct state control – with the notable exception of sectors viewed by the CPC as crucial to maintaining its monopoly on power – citizens increasingly appealed to the law for protection against arbitrary administrative interference and to limit the bureaucracy’s discretionary powers. In turn, the government encouraged the idea that ordinary citizens had legal rights as a way to ensure social stability, check petty corruption, and channel social grievances through a party-controlled mechanism.
自从邓小平在1978年提出“改革开放”以来，中国的领导人把法制看作推行国家政策的一个工具。但是当中国社会逐渐从国家直接控制解放出来后，除一些被中国共产党认为对维护其专制至关重要的少数几个部门外，国民越来越强烈地呼吁要求法律保护他们不受管理部门随心所欲的干涉以及限制政府官员不受束缚的权力。反过来，政府鼓励普通公民拥有法律权利，作为保证社会稳定、制止小规模的腐败以及通过一个被党所控制的机制来诉求社会冤情的一种手段。