China records major progress in its legislative activity

China has seen a significant achievement in its legislative activity over the past 15 years, with a focus on strengthening laws in key, emerging, and international areas, thereby enriching the nation's legal framework, an official said on Friday.

Huang Huaihua, the spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, shared at a news conference that the number of active laws in China has grown from 236 in March 2011 — when the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics was formally established — to 303 today.

Since 2021, Huang specified, the 14th NPC and its standing committee have developed an Ecological and Environmental Code, enacted 23 new laws, and amended 45 existing ones.

He highlighted that legislation has been consistently enhanced in critical, emerging, and international fields, fostering comprehensive legal development in areas such as the market economy, cultural growth, social welfare, environmental protection, national security, international relations, and anti-corruption efforts.

"For instance, we have bolstered foreign-related legal frameworks by formulating or revising laws concerning foreign relations, state immunity, foreign trade, maritime commerce, arbitration, and more," he said, revealing that draft laws targeting cross-border corruption and Antarctic activities and environmental protection are set for further review by lawmakers next week.

"These legislative items have played a big role in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests while promoting high-level opening-up," Huang added.

Moreover, he noted that the 14th NPC and its standing committee have crafted or revised laws centered on ecological conservation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, national parks, marine environmental protection, and other sectors, striving to enhance China's ecology and environment through legislation.

"All these legislative actions in the fields have enriched our country's legal frameworks and optimized the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics," Huang added.

To ensure high-quality legislation and embody the concept of whole-process people's democracy, Huang emphasized that the 14th NPC and its standing committee have established outreach offices across the country to widely gather public legislative opinions, actively introduce legislative initiatives, and effectively address public concerns through lawmaking or amendments.

Additionally, in the past decade or so, the authority, principles, and spirit of the Constitution, China's fundamental law, have been further upheld, with over 8,800 normative documents — such as administrative rules and judicial interpretations — reviewed for constitutional consistency since 2021, he said.

Apart from the draft laws on Antarctic activities and cross-border anti-corruption, the 14th NPC Standing Committee will review draft laws on public interest litigation by procuratorates, State-owned assets and finance, and a proposed revision to the Water Law during its upcoming session from Monday to Friday.

Other draft items, including amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law and revisions to the Renewable Energy Law and the Tax Collection Administration Law, are also slated for discussion at the session.