# The Chinese Communists Are Nothing If Not Law-Abiding 

‘Citizens of the People’s Republic of China, in exercising their freedoms and rights, may not infringe upon the interests of the state.’

September 17, 2024 • Commentary 

By [Roger Pilon](https://www.cato.org/people/roger-pilon) 

This article appeared in [*The Wall Street Journal*](https://wsj.com) on September 17, 2024.

In her richly informative “[China Expands Its Religious Repression](https://www.wsj.com/opinion/china-expands-its-religious-repression-b00db83e?mod=article_inline)” (Houses of Worship, Sept. 13), Collin Levy cites “37 academics, lawyers, journalists and others who signed a letter calling on the international community to insist that China live up to its human-rights commitments.” Unfortunately, China is doing just that.

As with all communist constitutions, China’s basic law lists rights we in the West take for granted. But at the end of that list is a general defeasance clause: “Citizens of the People’s Republic of China, in exercising their freedoms and rights, may not infringe upon the interests of the state, of society, or of the collective.” And who determines that? Why, the Chinese Communist Party, China’s real government.

Fidel Castro put it succinctly: “Within the revolution, everything. Against the revolution, nothing.” China’s religious repression is “lawful.”

##### About the Author 

[![Roger Pilon](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/Roger%20Pilon.jpg?itok=cmI-eTjr)](/people/roger-pilon) 

##### [Roger Pilon](/people/roger-pilon)

Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies

[ 

](https://x.com/Roger_Pilon) [ 

](mailto:rpilon@cato.org)