The current Constitution of the People's Republic of China was adopted in 1982.

 China is one of the countries with the longest histories in the world. The people of all nationalities in China have jointly created a splendid culture and have a glorious revolutionary tradition...This Constitution affirms the achievements of the struggles of the Chinese people of all nationalities and defines the basic system and basic tasks of the state in legal form; it is the fundamental law of the state and has supreme legal authority. The people of all nationalities, all state organs, the armed forces, all political parties and public organizations and all enterprises and undertakings in the country must take the Constitution as the basic norm of conduct, and they have the duty to uphold the dignity of the Constitution and ensure its implementation.

—from the Preamble to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the highest law in the land. The first Constitution was adopted in 1954, and was replaced subsequently in 1975, 1978 and, finally, on this day in 1982. Among the general principles set forth in the Constitution are that the "People's Republic of China is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants"; "[t]he basis of the socialist economic system of the People's Republic of China is socialist public ownership of the means of production, namely, ownership by the whole people and collective ownership by the working people"; and "[t]he state protects the right of citizens to own lawfully earned income, savings, houses and other lawful property." 

The Constitution also accords rights and duties to the people. The rights protected in the Constitution include the right for all citizens 18 and older to vote; freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration; and the right of citizens to assistance from the state and society when they are old, ill or disabled. In return citizens have the duty to practice family planning; care for and educate their children; support and help their parents; pay taxes; and defend and "safeguard the security, honor and interests of the motherland." The constitution also outlines the structure and administrative organization of the state.

EDSITEment 
The constitutions of the United States and the People's Republic of China have many differences and similarities. EDSITEment offers a number of lessons exploring the U.S. Constitution.

In the unit The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union? (3–5), students investigate the purposes of the U.S. Constitution, as identified in the Preamble to the Constitution. They also study fundamental values and principles as they are expressed in the Preamble.

In Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Checks and Balances (3–5), students use primary source documents to investigate how the three branches of the American government can check each other.

Xpeditions 
China's constitution requires all citizens to participate in family planning. In Population Issues in China and India (9–12), students examine population control practices of India and China.