China's top legislature concludes standing committee session

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 18th session Tuesday in Beijing.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt the revised Maritime Law, and the revised Organic Law of Urban Residents' Committees as well as decisions to revise the Cybersecurity Law, the Environmental Protection Tax Law, and the Organic Law of Villagers' Committees.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws and the decisions.

The session also adopted a decision to appoint Zhang Shengmin as a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China, and remove He Weidong from this position.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting.

Lawmakers ratified criminal judicial assistance treaties with Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, among other bills.

They also passed a report on the qualification of individual deputies and other personnel-related bills.

Addressing the closing meeting, Zhao called on legislators to prioritize the thorough study and implementation of the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee as a major political task both at present and over some time to come.

He also called on legislators to work to understand the principles, goals and tasks for China's economic and social development over the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), and to plan and advance the work of people's congresses in a holistic manner.

Zhao chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting, and presided over a lecture for lawmakers afterward.