China's top legislature starts bimonthly session

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the 15th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 23, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature started its bimonthly session Monday to review multiple draft laws and revisions.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the first plenary meeting of the session.

A total of 168 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting.

Shen Chunyao, vice chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, briefed lawmakers on the draft civil code, which consists of general provisions and six sections on property, contracts, personality rights, marriage and family, inheritance and torts.

On behalf of his committee, Shen suggested the NPC Standing Committee make a decision after reviewing the draft at the session to submit the draft to the annual session of the NPC next year for further deliberation.

Lawmakers also reviewed a draft revision to the securities law, the draft law on the promotion of basic medical and health care, a draft revision to the forest law and the draft law on community correction.

The NPC Constitution and Law Committee suggested the above four drafts be submitted for a vote on adoption at the session.

A draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste was also submitted to the top legislature for a second reading.

Entrusted by the State Council, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan briefed lawmakers on a draft amendment to the law on the protection of investments by compatriots from Taiwan and the draft export control law

Also on the table of the lawmakers were the draft law on Yangtze River conservation, the draft law on urban maintenance and construction tax and the draft law on deed tax, which were all submitted for their first reading.

Entrusted by the State Council, Wang Xiaohong, vice minister of public security, briefed lawmakers on a draft resolution to abolish the "custody and education" system, a penalty reserved for law violations related to prostitution, which has finished its role in history and is ready for abolition as China's law-based governance advances and legal system keeps improving.

A draft decision on starting a pilot program to streamline civil proceedings in some regions of the country was submitted by the Supreme People's Court.

Lawmakers also reviewed a draft decision on the third annual session of the 13th NPC.

Other personnel issues were heard or reviewed at Monday's meeting.