Top legislature adopts laws as standing committee session concludes

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted multiple laws including laws on family education promotion and land borders, and an amendment to the Audit Law, as it wrapped up a session on Saturday.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting of the 31st session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, which ran from Tuesday to Saturday.

Lawmakers passed a decision on authorizing the State Council to temporarily adjust the application of certain provisions of the Metrology Law in the pilot cities of business environment innovation.

They adopted a decision to authorize the State Council to pilot property tax reforms in certain regions.

Legislators passed a decision to temporarily adjust the application of relevant statutory provisions during the reform of the national defense mobilization system.

They also adopted decisions on ratifying an extradition treaty between China and Chile and ratifying the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.

Lawmakers passed a report on deputy qualifications and personnel-related bills, among others.

It was the first time the session deliberated a special report on the management of state-owned assets of natural resources, Li said while addressing the closing meeting.

He called for efforts to improve the national system for the management of natural resource assets and enhance the national capability of safeguarding resource safety.

The session set at the top of its agenda the study of the important speech delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, at a central conference on work related to people's congresses, Li said.

Calling on the people's congresses at all levels and their standing committees to have thorough study into Xi's speech, Li urged them to uphold the overall leadership of the Party, adhere to the political development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, ensure that the people enjoy extensive democratic rights according to the law, and improve the quality of the work of people's congresses.