Modern legal periodicals of China

Abstract

Driven by the importation of western learning to China by Protestant missionaries in the nineteenth century and compilation and publication of legal and political serial books and magazines by students studying in Japan in the late Tsing Dynasty, modern Chinese legal periodicals appeared officially and developed vigorously. These legal periodicals facilitated the modern transformation of traditional Chinese ideology and academy in terms of the purposes, editing mode, academic specifications, writing techniques and language styles of some typical periodicals. As the periodicals were widely spread and demonstrated throughout universities, legal communities and judicial and legislative authorities, more people acquired common background in such aspects as thoughts and writing techniques. As the adhesive of professional community of media and an important means of maintaining knowledge production, periodicals created some new authority of saying, based on which the tradition of modern Chinese legal system has been established.