Editorial

The editorial board and staff of the Journal of Chinese Law view
with sadness the massacre of demonstrators in Beijing on June third
and fourth, 1989. This tragic event shocked the world and posed for
China's friends the difficult question of how best to express and pro-
vide support in the future.

The student-led movement for continued economic reform,
increased democracy, and an end to official corruption captured the
attention and the hearts of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The People's Republic of China (PRC) government's suppression of
this popular demonstration for reform of the current government
undercut the considerable achievements of the past decade aimed at
establishing the rule of law in the PRC. At the same time, these
tragic events starkly highlight the critical need for China to build a
strong and viable legal system to protect Chinese citizens from the
abuse of official state power.

Since the suppression of the movement for democracy, many
PRC jurists, legal scholars and practitioners have indicated their con-
tinued commitment to enhancing the role of law in China. Through
their efforts, legislative checks on capricious and harmful government
activity continue to be enacted. For example, the recently enacted
Administrative Litigation Law gives Chinese citizens, for the first
time, the right to sue government officials and agencies for infringe-
ment of their legally protected rights. These efforts command our
respect and support.

The Journal of Chinese Law will continue to feature articles and
comments by Chinese scholars. We believe such contributions are an
indispensable source of information and insight into China's legal pol-
icies, problems, and prospects. Together with our Chinese colleagues,
we hope for a brighter future.