The objective requirements of constructing a city ruled by law are to: consolidate law enforcement responsibilities, clarify law enforcement procedures and standards, regulate law enforcement activities, and guarantee the fulfillment of all requirements of administration by law.

For this purpose, an important part of local legislation in the city is to consolidate the implementation of administrative law enforcement regarding spoken and written language.

The guidelines for stipulating the legal responsibility of the "Regulations for Implementation" are: "combining education, guidance and compulsory measures, with more emphasis on education and guidance", among which Section 19 and Section 20 specify the details of legal responsibility in five ways:

1. If units and individuals use language and characters that deviate from the regulations, Section 19.1 of the "Regulations for Implementation" stipulates that:

"Related units and individuals who do not use the "National Standard Language" and characters according to the stated regulations, should be criticized, and ordered to correct their deviation by his/her affiliated unit or the superior management department. For those who refuse to correct their deviation, the punishment shall be imposed by his/her affiliated unit or their superior management department".

2. If characters are used during public events that breach the regulations, Section 19.2 of the "Regulations for Implementation" stipulates that:

"Character usage on signboards and in facilities in public places that breaches the regulations, should be corrected, by the order of the administrative law enforcement department of the city management. For those who breach the regulations and refuse to correct the characters, a warning will be issued and they will be supervised and urged to correct the deviation(s) before a defined deadline".

Established in Shanghai, the method of installing the administrative law enforcement department of the city management in charge of character usage in public places, is the first in the country; a choice made in accordance with the reality of Shanghai being a vast city. The character usage on signboards and in facilities in public places is large in quantity and complicated, and from the strengthening trend of law enforcement in city management, it is a relatively feasible measure to entrust the administrative law enforcement department of the city management to carry out comprehensive law enforcement; on this basis, the municipal people’s congress proposed such regulations after thorough debate.

3. If characters are used in enterprise titles or product names that breach the regulations, Section 19.2 of the "Regulations for Implementation" stipulates that:

"Character usage in enterprise titles, product names and advertisements that breaches the regulations, should be punished by industrial and commercial administrative departments in accordance with the law".

4. For the organization of public monitoring, a citizen has the right to criticize and make suggestions. Section 20.1 of the "Regulations for Implementation" stipulates that:

"For breaching the relevant regulations and not using the "National Standard Language" and writing according to the related national norms and standards, a citizen can provide criticism and make suggestions".

5. The language work department has the right to publicize behavior that violates the regulations in the media and can exercise the supervision of the media. Section 20.2 of the "Regulations for Implementation" stipulates that:

"If a unit breaches the relevant regulations, conducts irregular language usage and refuses to correct the violation, the Language and Writing Committee can have it publicized in the media".