In an interview with China.org.cn, Professor Li Lin, director of the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained differences among the legal systems in China, other socialist systems and Western countries.

Although China's legal system is similar to that of other socialist countries, Li said, each country’s system is formulated around national conditions and thus each features its own unique characteristics. The socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, Li explained, is guided by the leadership of Communist Party of China and the Chinese economic model.

A good example of Chinese legal framework is the Anti-Secession Law, which aims to promote peaceful unification across the Taiwan Strait.

According to Li, the most important difference the Chinese system and the former Soviet Union's legal system lies in the division of its laws. China’s system has seven divisions: constitutional law, civil and commercial law, administrative law, economic law, social law, penal law, and litigation and non-litigation procedural law. In contrast, the former Soviet system had ten divisions: state law, administrative law, labor law, land law, financial budget law, family law, civil law, penal law, procedural law and collective farm law.

The greatest difference between Chinese and Western systems, Li said, again concerns China’s stipulation of CPC leadership and the economic concept of public ownership. China has many more laws concerning public ownership compared to the West, Li said.