Page 124 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

ZHANG Bin & YIN Xin / Historical development and contemporary construction 123
of the basic theoretical system of archival science with Chinese characteristics

Third, the theoretical system of archival history is further developed. In the formation stage, the
value, composition and content of the theory of archival history are further explored on the basis
of the early history of China’s archival undertakings, creating a more complete theoretical system
based on the theories of archival history, which includes the theories on the preservation history
of archives, the history of the scientific and technological archives, the compilation history of
archival literature, the record history and other branch disciplines. In particular, based on the needs
of the digital era, the theory is more closely connected with the theory of digital history to form
the theory of digital archives history. For example, LIANG Jihong et al. integrated research on
the history of archives with modern information technologies on the basis of previous studies on
ancient philology, the compilation of archival literature compilation and archival history database,
so as to further develop the theory of Chinese archival history in terms of digital collation, digital
preservation and digital inheritance of archives and cultural heritage.
Fourth, the theory of archival law has taken shape. The theory of archival law integrates the
major strategy of ruling the country by law and the principle of building a socialist country ruled
by law into the top-level research paradigm of archival science. By combining the theory of
archival science and the theory of archival law, it drives archival science to play a unique role in
national governance and the rule of law. In 1987, the Second Session of the 6th National People’s
Congress passed the Archives Law, marking that the archival undertakings in China had legal
basis. In 1996, the Archives Law was amended to clearly define the law enforcement power of
administrative agencies on archives. By 1997, China had approved, formulated and promulgated
239 laws, regulations, administrative rules and normative documents related to archival work.
Since the 15th National Congress of the CPC, the strategy of managing archives according to law
has been comprehensively implemented, and the laws and regulations system of archives with the
Archives Law as the core has been further enriched and improved .
[23]
The development of the Chinese archival law in the new era has gradually broken through the
limits of focusing solely on the normative design of archives. Under the guidance of XI Jinping
Thought on the Rule of Law and the theory of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics,
it is moving toward a theory of archival governance with more panoramic thinking and a broader
context. The theory of archival law plays an important role in the top-level design, process
guarantee, implementation and improvement of the development of the rule of law of archives, and
constantly supplements, adjusts and increases the theoretical level based on the practise of archival
management. In 2020, the new Archives Law was passed, which contributed to the research on
the theory of archival governance. As a result, a theoretical system of archival law with Chinese
characteristics based on archival law, supported by the research on the new knowledge system of
[24]
archival legislation , and directed by the research of laws on information, artificial intelligence,
network and big data was established.
Fifth, the theory of archival information is formally established. The archival information theory
in China is based on the subjects of digitization, informatization, “Internet+” and the “transitions