China’s top legislature outlines priorities of work in 2008

BEIJING—The Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) will discuss the amendment or adoption of 18 laws, hear seven work reports and conduct reviews on the implementation of five laws in 2008.
The numbers were disclosed in a work agenda approved after a recent meeting of the chairman and vice chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over by top legislator Wu Bangguo. The NPC Standing Committee will review draft amendments to 11 laws this year, including the Law on Protection of the Disabled, the Law on Insurance, the Patent Law, the Law on State Compensation, and the Electoral Law.
The draft amendment to the Law on Protection of the Disabled, which includes added details about stable financial support, better medical care and rehabilitation for the disabled, and favorable jobs and tax policies, is likely to be passed within this year, according to the work agenda. However, a date is not yet available. In 2008, the NPC Standing Committee will also review seven draft laws regulating management of an environment-friendly economy, administrative enforcement, management of state-owned property, food safety, social insurance, protection of intangible cultural heritage, and arbitration of land dispute in rural areas of the country.
The first five draft laws, which had already been heard last year by the 10th NPC Standing Committee, are also likely to be passed in 2008. Moreover, the 11th NPC Standing Committee will hear another seven reports submitted by the State Council, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. The work reports will cover areas ranging from disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction work, market prices, water pollution, to judicial justice.

—Xinhua