Highlights of NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo´s work report

RESOLVING PROBLEMS AFFECTING PEOPLE'S WELLBEING

-- In response to the serious problems revealed by the defective Sanlu milk powder and other major food safety scandals, the Standing Committee revised the draft Law on Food Safety based on in-depth investigations and studies and a wide range of opinions.

-- The NPC Standing Committee carried out another investigation of compliance with the revised versions of the Law on Compulsory Education, the Law on the Protection of Minors and the recently promulgated Law on Labor Contracts.

-- The NPC Standing Committee made big changes to the draft Social Security Law on the basis of initial deliberation by the last Standing Committee.

LEGISLATION

There are 231 laws currently in force in China.

-- The NPC Standing Committee enacted the Law on State-Owned Assets in Enterprises, the Law on Food Safety, the seventh amendment to the Criminal Law, and the Law to Promote a Circular Economy and revised the Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters, the Law on Security for Disabled Persons, the Fire Protection Law, the Insurance Law and the Patent Law.

-- The Chairperson's Council decided that in principle, all draft laws under deliberation by the Standing Committee should be released to the public on www.npc.gov.cn, that major bills should also be published by major national media organizations to solicit opinions from the general public, and that this should become common practice.