Chinese lawmakers vote to adopt law on rural collective economic organizations, other bills

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Friday voted to adopt the law on rural collective economic organizations and other bills as the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its 10th session.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt the newly revised law on emergency response, a revised frontier health and quarantine law, a decision to amend the accounting law, and a decision on official appointment and removal.

Lei Haichao was appointed as director of the National Health Commission, replacing Ma Xiaowei, according to the decision.

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

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the 10th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting.

Lawmakers also voted to adopt a decision on adjusting the application of the food safety law in the Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as two decisions concerning the Minamata Convention on Mercury and an extradition treaty between China and Panama, respectively.

In addition, the session approved the central government's final accounts for 2023 and adopted personnel-related bills.

Addressing the meeting, Zhao highlighted the quality of the oversight by people's congresses, urging lawmakers to exercise appropriate, effective and lawful oversight.

He called on lawmakers to uphold Party leadership, especially the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and practice whole-process people's democracy when exercising oversight.

Oversight should be exercised to serve the country's overall interests and should focus on solving problems, Zhao said.

He also stressed the importance of carrying out oversight in accordance with statutory mandates and procedures.

Zhao 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 closing meeting.