China's legislature on Thursday began examining a much-debated measure that is intended to help protect private property in an increasingly well-off society.

Although the Communist Party still believes the state owns all land, the growing economy has meant that private property "has been increasing with each passing day", the draft legislation states, adding that the protection of that property is the "urgent demand of the people".

"As the reform and opening-up and the economy develop, people's living standards have improved in general, and they urgently require effective protection of their own lawful property accumulated through hard work," Wang Zhaoguo, deputy chairman of the National People's Congress said in introducing the latest draft of the measure in the legislature.

The legislation has been at least 14 years in the making and has been discussed by the Standing Committee of the Natinoal People's Congress six times.

(China Daily 03/13/2007 page5)