国内英语新闻:Top legislature schedules bi-monthly session

BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature will convene its bi-monthly session from Dec. 23 to 29, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Friday.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the 13th National People's Congress Standing Committee, presided over the meeting.

Attendees of the meeting suggested that legislators would deliberate bills on the draft law on foreign investment, and draft revisions to the patent law, the land management law and the urban real estate management law.

The legislators will review the drafts of the contract book and the tort book of the civil code, the draft law on vehicle purchase taxes and draft revision to laws on rural land contracts, according to the statement.

The lawmakers will also review the bill on ratifying the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Convention on Countering Extremism.

Also on the agenda are hearing and reviewing a number of reports, including those on the rectification of the problems found in the audit of the central government's 2017 budget and the implementation of the marine environmental protection law.

The lawmakers will also deliberate on a report on deputy qualifications and review official appointments and dismissals, the statement said.