Legislature to continue work unhindered by challenges

The top legislature will continue to perform its legally mandated duties and provide legal safeguards for ensuring constitutional order in Hong Kong, the top legislator said on Monday.

"We will safeguard constitutional order in the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao as stipulated in China's Constitution and the respective basic laws of the two regions, and work to ensure the practice of 'one country, two systems' is firmly upheld over the long term," Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said while delivering a work report to the assembled NPC deputies.

The fourth session of the 13th NPC started its second plenary meeting on Monday afternoon. Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li said the NPC will make a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during its ongoing annual session.

The NPC Standing Committee will make revisions to the relevant law on the basis of the decision as part of a package of legal measures to ensure constitutional order and the rule of law in the HKSAR, he said.

The NPC will continue to perform its legally mandated duties and provide legal safeguards for ensuring constitutional order in Hong Kong, countering forces seeking "Hong Kong independence", ensuring patriots administer Hong Kong and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability in the region, Li said.

The top legislator said ensuring greater observance of the Constitution and enhancing constitutionality reviews to safeguard the Constitution's sanctity and authority is a key task for the NPC Standing Committee this year.

To ensure the observance of the Constitution, the NPC will see that all procedures and mechanisms for interpreting the Constitution are well implemented, and actively respond to concerns regarding constitutional issues.

The top legislature will move faster to enact and revise Constitution-related laws, draft a supervisory law and revise the Rules of Procedure for the NPC Standing Committee, the Organic Law of the State Council, and the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments, according to the work report.

The NPC Standing Committee will also speed up legislation in key areas such as national security, scientific and technological innovation, public health, biosafety and biosecurity, ecological conservation, risk management and laws concerning external affairs, Li said.

"In our annual legislative plan, we've made preliminary arrangements for the deliberation of 45 legislative items, with close to 20 additional items in reserve," he said.

Many public health-related laws are on the NPC's work agenda this year: a new law on responding to public health emergencies; revisions to the Wildlife Protection Law, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law and the Practicing Physicians Law.

Li said the NPC Standing Committee will also take steps to strengthen the legal system for national security.

National legislators will formulate an anti-organized crime law, a land border law, a food security law, a data security law and a law on the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel. The Emergency Response Law, the Maritime Traffic Safety Law, the Workplace Safety Law, the Military Service Law and the Military Facilities Protection Law will be revised.

Legislation will also focus on developing a modern economic system and stimulate scientific and technological innovation. A Hainan free trade port law, a futures law, a stamp duty law and a rural revitalization promotion law will be made. The Anti-Monopoly Law, the Law on Scientific and Technological Progress, the Company Law, the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law, the Audit Law, the Law on the Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products and the Animal Husbandry Law will be revised, according to the work report.

A food waste law, a law for the promotion of the cultural industry, a family education law, a preschool education law, a personal information protection law, a social assistance law, a legal aid law, a law for the protection of wetlands and a law on activities and environmental protection in Antarctica are also on the work agenda of the top legislature this year, the report shows.