China aims to enhance sci-tech popularization through law revision

BEIJING, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- China is considering expanding public access to science and technology knowledge through a draft law revision.

The second draft revision to the Science and Technology Popularization Law will be submitted to a session of the country's top legislature for deliberation from Saturday to next Wednesday, Wang Xiang, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, told a press conference on Thursday.

The latest draft proposes the designation of September as an annual national science popularization month.

It also includes provisions to encourage social entities to establish awards for science popularization according to law, support enterprises to open their laboratories and production lines to the public, and help organizations and individuals to utilize new media to undertake diverse forms of science outreach.

The draft includes new provisions related to talent training, the establishment of volunteer service teams, and an incentive mechanism for science popularization personnel.

If adopted, this would be the first revision to the Science and Technology Popularization Law since it was enacted in 2002.