The fundamental state family planning policy will be supported by
the nation's first legislation on family planning and population,
if it is adopted on Saturday.
The legislation will guarantee that individuals enjoy the right to
child-bearing as well as improved reproductive health and family
planning services, according to Hu Guangbao, vice-director of the
Law Committee of the National People's Congress (
NPC), China's top legislative body.
The draft law on family planning and population was submitted
Monday to the 25th Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth
NPC for third reading.
Draft legislation usually becomes law after three rounds of
deliberation by national legislators, according to China's Law on
Legislative Procedure.
Conditions are ripe now to introduce this legislation, as the idea
of family planning and the importance of reproductive health have
been widely accepted by the public, said legislator Gu Jinchi
during Monday's panel discussion on the draft law.
Family planning is one of the state's fundamental policies, and
guides the sustainable development of the country and its
population of almost 1.3 billion.
With the implementation of the policy, China has significantly
slowed the country's population growth over the past 20 years.
The natural growth rate of the population has been kept to less
than 10 per thousand since 1998, according to sources with the
State Family Planning Commission.
The lawmakers are expected to vote on the draft law on Saturday
when they close their week-long session.
The draft laws on the promotion of medium and small-sized
enterprises, road traffic security and production safety were
submitted to the legislators for their first reading.
The legislators are expected to work out measures to improve the
working environment of the nation's more than 8 million medium and
small-sized enterprises in such areas as fund raising, technical
innovation, market promotion and social services, according to Zeng
Xianlin, vice-director of the NPC Financial and Economic
Committee.
Medium and small enterprises have played an indispensable role in
invigorating the national economy and maintaining social stability
by promoting market competition, increasing job opportunities and
pushing forward technical innovation, Zeng said.
However, he said these enterprises have faced more difficulties
than large enterprises in getting funding, raising their
technological levels, attracting qualified professional personnel
and accessing information.
"They will meet more intense competition now that China has entered
the World Trade Organization (WTO)," Zeng said, adding that it is
a common practice of market economies to pass legislation for the
promotion of such enterprises.
The lawmakers will also give a first reading to the draft
amendments to the nation's Law on Water Resources and the Law on
Lawyers.
The law on water resources will be amended to put more emphasis on
water conservation and the protection of water resources, according
to Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources.
They will also have a second round of deliberation on the draft
laws on government purchasing and the protection of cultural
relics.
(China
Daily December 25, 2001)