Social Sciences in China, 2025

Vol. 46, No. 4, 2025

Synergetic Optimization and Path Selection for the Ecological Rule of Law in Rural China

(Abstract)

Li Chuanxuan and Cheng Feihong

The construction of ecological civilization is a core issue within the rural revitalization strategy. There is a pressing need to optimize the spatial structure of the rural ecological rule of law. It is essential to achieve synergetic optimization through the following strategic path selections: in the legal space, priorities include reconstructing environmental legislation for urban-rural balance and using codification to optimize rural environmental norms. In the administrative space, devolving powers and responsibilities, institutionalizing interagency coordination, and refining incentive mechanisms can lower governance costs and strengthen primary-level performance. In the judicial space, functional reconffguration should recalibrate the division of labor between judicial and administrative authorities and guide the legalization of informal rules.

Keywords: rural ecological rule of law, legal space, administrative space, judicial space