CHINA’S top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), will intensify its legislation focusing on social affairs this year, top legislator Wu Bangguo said yesterday.

The NPC Standing Committee chairman unveiled the legislative plan for 2007 as he delivered a report on the work of the 10th NPC Standing Committee at the legislature’s annual session.

The main legislative tasks this year include enacting the laws on labor contracts, employment promotion, social security, mediation and arbitration of labor disputes, administrative decrees, State-owned assets and responding to emergencies, according to Wu.

The legislator said the current NPC and its Standing Committee will achieve the goal of basically establishing a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and improving the quality of legislation before the current five-year legislative tenure ends next March.

China is in a critical period of reform and development, in which its economic system and social structure, the interests of different sectors of society and people’s thinking and concepts are all changing profoundly, he said.

“These unprecedented social changes provide very strong vitality for China’s development, but they inevitably create a wide variety of conflicts and problems as well,” Wu said, adding that the legislation work should always adhere to the principle of putting people first.

The committee deliberated 24 draft laws and draft decisions on legal issues in 2006. Among them 14 were adopted and five were tabled to the ongoing annual session of the NPC for deliberation.

Wu said the NPC will intensify its supervision efforts in various fields in 2007, the first year for the implementation of the Oversight Law.

On the top agenda of the NPC Standing Committee’s supervision work in 2007 are the government’s efforts in building a new socialist countryside, energy conservation and environmental protection, according to Wu’s report.

The NPC Standing Committee will also tighten its supervision on the reform of the medicare system in both urban and rural areas and on food and drug safety management, Wu said.

Safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of workers and investigating the implementation of the Compulsory Education Law will also be on its priority, Wu said.

The committee will supervise the government’s efforts in protecting the rights and interests of overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots who invest in the mainland, said Wu.

(Xinhua)

CHINA’S top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), will intensify its legislation focusing on social affairs this year, top legislator Wu Bangguo said yesterday.

The NPC Standing Committee chairman unveiled the legislative plan for 2007 as he delivered a report on the work of the 10th NPC Standing Committee at the legislature’s annual session.

The main legislative tasks this year include enacting the laws on labor contracts, employment promotion, social security, mediation and arbitration of labor disputes, administrative decrees, State-owned assets and responding to emergencies, according to Wu.

The legislator said the current NPC and its Standing Committee will achieve the goal of basically establishing a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and improving the quality of legislation before the current five-year legislative tenure ends next March.

China is in a critical period of reform and development, in which its economic system and social structure, the interests of different sectors of society and people’s thinking and concepts are all changing profoundly, he said.

“These unprecedented social changes provide very strong vitality for China’s development, but they inevitably create a wide variety of conflicts and problems as well,” Wu said, adding that the legislation work should always adhere to the principle of putting people first.

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The committee deliberated 24 draft laws and draft decisions on legal issues in 2006. Among them 14 were adopted and five were tabled to the ongoing annual session of the NPC for deliberation.

Wu said the NPC will intensify its supervision efforts in various fields in 2007, the first year for the implementation of the Oversight Law.

On the top agenda of the NPC Standing Committee’s supervision work in 2007 are the government’s efforts in building a new socialist countryside, energy conservation and environmental protection, according to Wu’s report.

The NPC Standing Committee will also tighten its supervision on the reform of the medicare system in both urban and rural areas and on food and drug safety management, Wu said.

Safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of workers and investigating the implementation of the Compulsory Education Law will also be on its priority, Wu said.

The committee will supervise the government’s efforts in protecting the rights and interests of overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots who invest in the mainland, said Wu.

(Xinhua)