--Qian Jinyu, Associate Professor of Constitutional Studies & Executive Director of the Human Rights Laws Research Center, Northwest University of Politics and Law, China

Abstract

The formation of a state, and any political innovation made therein, is the result of the constitutional norms which form the foundation of the political systems of said state. In modern times, a constitutional movement within major powers such as the UK, the US and France, are meant to write a constitution which allows for the realization of their specific national dreams.

Every nation has the dual faces of a "political state" and a "cultural state"; thus, in the preamble of the present constitution, the authors depicted the national dream from two perspectives. One perspective is the national rejuvenation dream aimed at strengthening the cultural identify of the Chinese nation; the other is the dream of "democracy, prosperity and civilization" as a common entity of politics and laws. With the declaration of the national dream from two perspectives, the Constitution has legitimized the current Chinese political system from a constructionist angle. Only when the entire nation recognizes the Chinese Dream will they feel obligated to obey authority. The realization of the national dream is the purpose for writing the constitution and the goal for the founding the People's Republic. It governs and binds the basic principles, core systems and basic tasks of the nation, and provides legitimate proof for the workings of the political system and powers therein. In that sense, the national dream is the soul of the Constitution.

The realization of the Chinese Dream inherently requires a socialist political system with Chinese characteristics, and the foundation of its legitimacy lies in the cultural values of a particular nation. Therefore, China needs to create a Chinese political system with its political experience as the basis, coupled with the assimilation of Marxism, Confucianism and Western values while transcending all ideological differences.

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