A group of law scholars gathered at a seminar over the weekend in Beijing to push legislation concerning property law.

They believe that the new draft on property law is an improvement compared to the original edition.

The development of property law in China has drawn much attention from the public as it is concerned with the protection of public and private property. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) made a public property law draft in July last year prompting over 10,000 suggestions.

It is expected that the draft of the law will be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for further discussion after its revision.

"I believe that the current draft gives equal protection to both public and private property," Wang Liming, president of the Law School of the Renmin University of China, said at the seminar on Saturday.

A score of law professors from China Law Society, Renmin University of China and the China University of Political Science and Law made speeches at the seminar.

Jiang Ping, lifelong professor of the China University of Political Science and Law, said the property law should reflect the policy of reform and opening up.

According to the draft revision, submitted to a conference of the NPC National Committee in October last year, public property and private property are protected under the law.

The 2004 revision of the Constitution described the protection of private property for the first time in China's legislation history. It is hoped that the new property law will give more specification to the protection of private property.

(China Daily February 27, 2006)