国内英语新闻:China's top legislature starts bimonthly session

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature started its bimonthly session Monday to review multiple draft laws and revisions.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the first plenary meeting of the session Monday afternoon. A total of 166 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting.

Bills presented to the legislature include the cryptography law, which was on its second review. The Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC suggested the draft be submitted to a vote for adoption at the session.

A new draft of the marriage and family section of the civil code was submitted to the session, proposing a new clause that families shall establish good family traditions, carry forward family virtues and attach importance to promoting familial culture.

Lawmakers reviewed a draft revision to the Forest Law, which modified stipulations on the compensation concerning the ecological benefits of forests.

The draft law on community corrections was submitted for a second reading, according to which enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, volunteers and other private actors are encouraged and supported to participate in community corrections.

Also on the table is a 75-article draft biosecurity law, which focuses on protecting the security of the country's biological resources, promoting and safeguarding the development of biotechnology, and preventing and prohibiting the use of biological agents or biotechnology that may harm national security.

Lawmakers have started reviewing a draft revision to the Law on the Protection of Minors, which highlights new stipulations on cyberspace protection.

Other bills reviewed Monday include draft revisions to the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency and the Archives Law, and draft decisions on clarifying the National Supervisory Commission's power to formulate supervisory regulations, adjusting the implementation of laws to further cut red tapes in pilot free trade zones, as well as authorizing the jurisdiction of Macao's port zone at Hengqin port and extended areas to the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Legislators also heard reports on the inspection of the enforcement of the higher education law and the deliberations of several NPC committees and reviewed a report on Li Zhanshu's visits to Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Other personnel issues were heard or reviewed at Monday's meeting.