China's top legislature concludes standing committee session

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 19th session Saturday in Beijing.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt a law on the safety management of hazardous chemicals, revisions to the Fisheries Law, the Civil Aviation Law, the Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language and the Foreign Trade Law, as well as a decision to approve a report by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee on the progress of legislative review and cleanup and related handling measures.

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

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

The meeting decided to submit the draft environmental code, the draft law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, and the draft law on national development planning to the fourth session of the 14th NPC for further deliberation.

The fourth session of the 14th NPC will open in Beijing on March 5, 2026, according to a decision adopted at Saturday's meeting.

Lawmakers voted to adopt the NPC Standing Committee's interpretation of article 292 of the Criminal Procedure Law.

The meeting also voted to adopt reports on the examination of deputies' proposals and on the qualification of certain deputies and other personnel-related bills.

Addressing the closing meeting, Zhao called for thorough and meticulous preparations and organization for the upcoming fourth session of the 14th NPC.

Zhao called on lawmakers to make thorough preparations and arrangements for next year's work in accordance with the key tasks of the NPC Standing Committee for 2026, as well as its work plans on legislation, oversight, deputies and foreign affairs.

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