Legislature to deliberate law curbing land expropriation

BEIJING - China's top legislature will deliberate draft amendments to the laws on land management and trademarks during a bimonthly session.

It will also discuss a draft decision to strengthen Internet information protection.

The session will be convened by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on December 24 to 28 in Beijing, according to a decision made at Friday's meeting of the chairman and vice chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting was presided over by top legislator Wu Bangguo.

The Land Management Law, passed by the top legislature in 1986, was revised in 1998 and 2004.

The upcoming draft law amendment, submitted by the State Council, or Cabinet, aims to address the outstanding problem of excessive land expropriation in China's urbanization move.

The draft amendment, passed at a cabinet meeting last month, alters rules on how to compensate farmers whose collectively-owned land is expropriated.

Compensation of farmers' expropriated land is expected to increase if the draft amendment is adopted by lawmakers.