Top legislator delivers report on work of NPC Standing Committee

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Top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Sunday delivered a report on the work of the NPC Standing Committee during a plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th NPC in Beijing.

Progress in past five years

Summarizing the work in the past five years, Zhang said the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC has enacted 25 laws, revised 127 laws and issued nine legal interpretations.

CGTN Photo‍

A total of 43 treaties and agreements with foreign countries and international conventions were concluded by China and have been ratified, Zhang added.

The Standing Committee of the 12th NPC has produced an interpretation of Article 104 of the HKSAR Basic Law to resolutely deter and oppose any attempt at “Hong Kong independence”, safeguard the sanctity of the Constitution and Basic Law, according to the work report.

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The past five years have seen the NPC’s strengthening work on enacting, revising, abolishing, and interpreting laws related reform, according to Zhang.

“We moved quickly to revise the Population and Family Planning Law and issued a decision on abolishing laws and regulations pertaining to re-education through labor,” Zhang noted.

Over the past five years, the national legislature has strengthened follow-up oversight to help make gains in the three critical battles against potential risks, poverty and pollution.

The Standing Committee of the 12th NPC has carried out continuous oversight over the government’s handling of 127 key suggestions of deputies on eliminating poverty and inspected enforcement of six environmental laws in a national battle to prevent and control pollution, said Zhang.

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Deputies to the 12th NPC submitted 2,366 proposals and 41,353 suggestions in total over the past five years. Of the proposals, a total of 514 related to 59 legislative items have been deliberated and adopted, Zhang said when he talked about the efficiency of handling deputies’ proposals.

“We have improved the people’s congress system to strengthen the foundation for state power and the Party’s long-term governance”, stressed Zhang.

He further explained that the NPC has drawn on lessons learned from the voting bribery cases in Liaoning Province and in Hengyang City of Hunan Province and has taken strict measures and regulations to ensure honest elections.

Proposals for 2018

Addressing the lawmakers, Zhang concluded his work report with some proposals for work in 2018, including:

- continuing to strengthen legislative work;

- continuing to strengthen oversight work;

- continuing to improve work related to deputies.

China's national legislature will accelerate its work on compiling the civil code, so its individual books can undergo deliberation, said Zhang.

He also mentioned they will also take steps to make a foreign investment law and do research on formulating a real estate tax law.

Legislative efforts will also be made to formulate foreign investment law, E-commerce law and community correction law, added Zhang.

Xinhua Photo

Ahead of the work report, the lawmakers have voted to approve draft amendments to the Chinese Constitution.

Click here to review the history of China’s Constitutional amendments:

Graphics: History of China's Constitution revisions

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