China's "two sessions time" is about to open. It is understood that the 2019 two sessions will be held in early March. What is the spirit of the 2019 two sessions? What will be the agenda of the two sessions in 2019? Let's take a look!
At the second session of the 13th National People's Congress held in Beijing in early March, an important task of nearly 3000 deputies to the National People's Congress was to review the draft foreign investment law and seek the "maximum common denominator" on this law related to China's new round of opening to the outside world.
As China's highest legislature, every NPC session in recent years will consider weighty legal bills. This year's meeting is the first National People's Congress after the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. The draft foreign investment law is submitted for deliberation at this time, which is considered to be another 'new pen' for China to deepen reform and opening up through legislation.
"It demonstrates China's unswerving determination to expand opening to the outside world." Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said at the closing meeting of the eighth session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress in January this year that through national legislation to promote and protect foreign investment, China has taken practical actions to declare to the world that China has always pursued a mutually beneficial and win-win opening strategy, supported trade and investment liberalization and facilitation A clear-cut attitude and firm stand to actively promote the construction of an open world economy.
Reviewing the work of the 13th National People's Congress and its Standing Committee in the past year since they performed their duties, it is a clear sign to promote the deepening of reform and opening up with legislation. At the last meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in 2018 alone, about one third of the agenda is closely related to reform, involving reform matters in many fields and more than 20 laws. As Li Zhanshu said, it is an important duty of the NPC Standing Committee to resolutely implement the decision-making and deployment of the CPC Central Committee on reform and ensure that major reforms are based on the law and implemented smoothly. It is also a prominent feature of the work of the NPC in recent years.
Liu Yunlong, deputy inspector of the Research Office of the legal work committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, revealed that the past year was the year in which the largest number of legal cases were deliberated and passed in the first year of the performance of duties of previous standing committees. Data show that in one year, the 13th National People's Congress and its Standing Committee deliberated and adopted one amendment to the constitution, formulated nine laws, amended 47 laws, adopted 13 decisions on legal issues and major issues, and 11 legal bills are under consideration.
This list clearly reflects the characteristics of legislation leading, promoting reform and opening up, involving deep water and breaking through dangerous beaches. For example, the review of various parts of the civil code has promoted the reform and improvement of the market economic system. Review the draft law on foreign investment and make greater efforts to promote opening to the outside world. The relevant legislation on deepening the reform of Party and state institutions has been promoted by means of packaging, amending laws and making decisions. Confirm and consolidate the achievements of judicial system reform through legislation, including amending the organic law of the people's court and the organic law of the people's Procuratorate, and further improve the establishment and functions and powers of the two chambers; Formulate the law on people's assessors and earnestly ensure the people's participation in trial activities.
At the same time, a number of legislation to ensure the smooth implementation of people's livelihood reform measures were introduced one year after another. Revise the individual income tax law, raise the threshold of individual income tax and release the reform dividend; Formulate the soil pollution prevention and control law to safeguard the people's "safety under their feet" Embrace the era of e-commerce and bring e-commerce into the track of rule of Law & hellip& hellip;
Liu Yunlong said: "legislation has played a role in standardizing and ensuring reform, ensuring that reform is promoted under the rule of law and improving the rule of law in reform."
In parallel with the legislative work, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress continued to escort the implementation of the law over the past year, and conducted law enforcement inspection on the implementation of six laws, including the air pollution prevention law and the agricultural product quality and safety law.
To this end, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which convenes bimonthly, also held an additional meeting in July 2018 to consider the report on inspecting the implementation of the air pollution prevention and control law and make special inquiries. It is the first time in the history of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to convene a special Standing Committee on environmental protection issues. It also shows the people's Congress's attitude of vigorously supervising the implementation of the reform measures determined by legislation.
As the draft foreign investment law is submitted to the National People's Congress for deliberation, China's determination to further open to the outside world will also be raised to the will of the whole people through legislation. At the time node of reform and opening up, China's legislation to deepen reform and opening up has changed from signal to more practical action.