Like other top Chinese leaders, Zhou spoke often of promoting the 'rule of law' and was thought to be aligned with CPC general secretary Xi Jinping's stated ambition to make the court system in China fairer.[4] Indeed, in his first few years in office, Zhou overturned several court decisions as unjust, including the wrongful execution of Nie Shubin in 1995; granted judges more independence; and restricted local officials’ influence over court rulings, although ultimately courts at all levels had to answer to the party leadership.[5]