What is constitutional property in China?

China-EU Law Journal - Tập 4 - Trang 65-73 - 2015
Libin Xie1
1Chinesisch-Deutsches Institut für Rechtswissenschaft, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

Tóm tắt

Chinese scholars often interpret the term “property” as set out in Art. 13 of the Constitution of China to bear the same meaning as property, as a right of private law. However, constitutional property is different from the form of property that exists as a statutory right. The interpretation of the constitutional concept shall not be replaced by just presenting the meaning of a statutory concept with the same wording. The sphere of constitutional property shall be determined only by constitutional interpretation. Drawing on American and German experiences, this article discusses whether ownership, inheritance rights and other rights of private law protecting economic interests, as well as rights of public law including right to education, public offices, vocational licenses and social security benefits are property in the context of the Chinese Constitution. The deciding factor is whether a specific right has economic value and thus expands the freedom citizens can actually enjoy, and whether the qualification of the right as property is compatible with relevant constitutional provisions. The author proposes a two-step approach to determine whether a specific right is constitutional property in China.

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