China's top legislature concludes standing committee session

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the 32nd session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 32nd session Friday in Beijing.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt an anti-organized crime law, a wetlands protection law, a revised Law on Scientific and Technological Progress, and a law on the prevention and control of noise pollution.

They also adopted three decisions on amending the Seed Law, the Civil Procedure Law, and the Trade Union Law.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws and decisions.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting.

Lawmakers also decided to submit four bills to the fifth session of the 13th NPC for review. They were a draft amendment to the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments, a draft decision of the fifth session of the 13th NPC on the number of deputies to the 14th NPC and their election, and two draft methods for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR to elect their deputies to the 14th NPC.

Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, was entrusted to explain the drafts to the NPC session.

Lawmakers approved a revised decision of the NPC Standing Committee on strengthening the oversight over economic work.

A decision on convening the fifth session of the 13th NPC was adopted. According to the decision, the NPC full session will kick off on March 5, 2022 in Beijing.

The meeting also adopted reports on deliberations of bills proposed by NPC deputies and on deputy qualifications, as well as personnel-related bills.

Addressing the closing meeting, Li Zhanshu said the NPC Standing Committee achieved new progress in various areas of its work in 2021, a "milestone" year in the history of the Party and the country.

Stressing upholding Party leadership in all aspects and through the whole process of the work of the people's congresses, Li called on lawmakers to actively perform duties with a focus on the major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee.

Mentioning the "hugely and profoundly significant" 20th CPC National Congress to be held in 2022, Li called for high-quality work in the next year and meticulous preparations for the NPC full session, so that excellent results are achieved by the time the Party congress is convened.

Li chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting and presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the meeting.