国内英语新闻：China's legislature passes laws and treaties

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 11th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China's top legislature, concluded its fifth session on Tuesday after passing new laws and international treaties.

    It adopted an amendment to the fire control law and passed a law designed to protect state-owned assets from being illegally seized.

    The session also ratified a bilateral treaty on extradition with Portugal.

    The 21-article treaty was signed by Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui and Portuguese Foreign Minister Louis Amado in Beijing on Jan. 31, 2007.

    The top legislature session also ratified an amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment, and the Protocol thereto on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment.

    NPC Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo said the legislature would continue working on an amendment to the country's law on food safety, which is being revised following a nationwide toxic milk scandal.

    The session publicized a draft of amended law on earthquake prevention and disaster reduction to receive suggestions from all circles.

    Wu Bangguo said at the session that to promote the judicial fairness and public supervision is a long-term task and called for more efforts in this regard.

    He urged lawmakers to live up to their responsibilities to provide more useful and effective advices or suggestions to the top legislature, including those on macro-control of the economy.