China's top legislature has conscientiously exercised the country's legislative power, bolstering legislation in key and emerging areas, as well as areas involving foreign affairs, Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said on Friday.

Delivering a work report of the NPC Standing Committee to the annual legislative session, Zhao said over the past year, the NPC Standing Committee deliberated 34 items of legislation and adopted 21 of them, which include six new laws, eight revised laws and seven decisions on legal issues and major matters.

Legislation concerning the economy and people's well-being has been strengthened, Zhao said, adding that the legislature thoroughly revised the Company Law to refine the modern corporate system with distinctive Chinese features, formulated a barrier-free environment law to establish sound systems and regulations for building barrier-free facilities, and facilitated the resolution of pressing difficulties and problems faced by the elderly and people with disabilities.

He also said the NPC Standing Committee improved the legal framework for environmental protection, noting that a law on ecological conservation of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau has been formulated, and the Marine Environment Protection Law has been revised.

Improving legislation to safeguard national security, the legislature formulated a food security law and made revisions to the Counter-espionage Law, consolidating the legal foundation for enhancing food security and providing more legal tools for the struggle against infiltration, subversion and the theft of secrets, he said.

The NPC Standing Committee also enacted a foreign relations law, and revised the Civil Procedure Law to promote the development of a market-oriented, law-based business environment in keeping with international standards, said Zhao.

He said the NPC fully played its leading role in legislation to make legislative work more systematic, holistic, coordinated and responsive.