BEIJING- The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, or China's top legislature, ended its bimonthly session on Saturday, adopting amendments to Military Service Law and Resident Identity Card Law.

President Hu Jintao signed presidential decrees to promulgate the two amendments.

The legislature also adopted a decision on strengthening anti-terrorism efforts.

The legislature approved a decision to appoint Huang Ermei, member of the judging committee of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), as vice president of the SPC.

Top legislator Wu Bangguo presided over the closing meeting which was attended by 138 members.

Wu said at the closing meeting after the amendments were adopted that the revised Military Service Law is aimed at recruiting more well-educated young people to join the army.

The amendment has also stipulated in regard to improved welfare for servicepersons and better treatment, employment in particular, for demobilized soldiers.

This would have significant implications to the enlistment work and to protecting lawful rights and interests of servicepersons and their families, said Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

The amendment to the Resident Identity Card Law aims to prevent counterfeiting and better protect residents' personal information, said Wu.

The amendment has made clear of the expiration date of China's first version of identity cards which were introduced in 1985, and provides that citizens will have their fingerprints recorded when they apply for or change ID cards.

Wu said the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Regarding Strengthening Anti-terror Efforts will be conducive to safeguarding the nation and its people.

The bill legally defined terrorist acts, organizations and terrorists, made clear of the leadership of anti-terror operations and perfected the mechanism to freeze terror-related funds and assets.

Wu also reported progresses made in revising civil procedure law, saying that the draft amendments to the law have undergone intensive deliberation at this legislative session.

He called for further improvements of the amendments based on widely soliciting opinions and sound studies.

During the session, lawmakers listened to and discussed a report on the progress of urban affordable housing projects.

It was agreed at the session that despite achievements of the projects, it remained an arduous task to meet the housing needs of the people as the populous country is in the middle of urbanization and industrialization, Wu said.

The lawmakers called for improved distribution and supervision mechanisms, as well as better planning and continued financial support from government for the projects.

The session also listened to reports on environmental protection and the implementation of Labor Contract Law, and reports on the work of courts and procuratorates at grassroots levels.

Wu also asked lawmakers to fully comprehend the importance of a decision on deepening the reform of the country's cultural system, which was adopted by the Communist Party of China Central Committee at its latest plenum.

He urged lawmakers to firmly adhere to the socialist core value system and work to provide stronger legal support for China's cultural reform and development.

Also on Saturday, the NPC Standing Committee held a special lecture on promoting the development of China's capital market, which was presided over by Wu.

The lecture was given by Qi Bin, director of a research center under the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

According to Qi, the financial crisis in 2008 has posed new challenges to the development and regulation of the capital market in an era of globalization and greatly influenced the world's economic and financial patterns, which requires China to step up developing the capital market.