China's top legislature concludes bimonthly session

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, speaks during the closing meeting of the 15th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) closed its bimonthly session Saturday, adopting revisions to China's Securities Law and arrangements on the 2020 annual NPC session, among others.

Apart from the revised law on securities, the closing meeting adopted the law on promoting basic medical and health care, the revised forest law, and the community correction law, as well as decisions on amending the law on the protection of Taiwan compatriots' investments and abolishing the "custody and education" system.

The meeting decided to submit a draft civil code to next year's annual NPC session for deliberation, which is scheduled to open on March 5, 2020.

A decision on starting a pilot program on reforming civil procedures, as well as reports from NPC special committees on handling bills submitted by NPC deputies during this year's annual session, were also adopted.

Among other appointments and dismissals, the members of the fifth Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Basic Law Committee under the NPC Standing Committee was also approved at the meeting.

Members of the Macao SAR Basic Law Committee, including five from Macao, will serve a term of five years.

Presiding over the closing meeting, Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, spoke highly of the passage of the revisions, new laws and decisions, and summarized the highlights of the six-day session.

After the meeting concluded, Li presented the appointment certificates to the members of the Macao SAR Basic Law Committee and presided over a lecture on the system of the NPC.

Li also presided over a chairpersons' meeting of the NPC Standing Committee ahead of the closing meeting.