China's top legislature starts standing committee session

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the seventh session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its seventh session Monday in Beijing.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting.

Lawmakers reviewed a draft revision to the Organic Law of the State Council. The NPC Constitution and Law Committee suggested that, after deliberations at the current session, the NPC Standing Committee make a decision to submit the draft to the second session of the 14th NPC for further review.

Lawmakers also deliberated a draft revision to the Company Law, a draft amendment to the Charity Law, a draft food security law, a draft amendment to the Criminal Law, a draft emergency response management law, and a draft law on rural collective economic organizations, a draft amendment to the Law on Supervision by the Standing Committees of the People's Congresses at All Levels, a draft revision to the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, and a draft revision to the Mineral Resources Law.

The session reviewed a draft decision on improving and strengthening the system of recording and review, a draft decision on authorizing the Macao Special Administrative Region to exercise jurisdiction over relevant land and sea areas southeast of the Gongbei Port in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, a draft decision on convening the second session of the 14th NPC.

Lawmakers also deliberated an extradition treaty between China and Botswana, and a treaty on judicial assistance in criminal affairs between China and Senegal, among other reports and bills.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the seventh session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)