China's top legislature concluded its six-day, bimonthly session Saturday, after approving several laws, including one on rural land disputes aiming to ensure rural stability,

President Hu Jintao signed decrees to publish the law on the mediation and arbitration of rural land contract disputes, the revised Law on Statistics and a decision to abolish eight outdated or redundant laws.

The concluding meeting was presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), or top legislature.

The ninth session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee also adopted a revision to the government's 2008 final accounts, an audit report and a decision to lease land in Guangdong to Macao as a new site for the University of Macao.

Wu said the law on the mediation and arbitration of rural land contract disputes is based on the actual condition of rural areas, giving consideration to the convenience of the broad masses of people, bring into full play the role of mediation and arbitration and specifying measures and procedures that provide a legal basis for settling rural land disputes and ensuring farmers' rights.

"It's also significant in strengthening rural land operation systems, improving land contract relations and promoting rural development and social stability," Wu said.

The revision to the Law on Statistics mainly focused on falsification in statistical work, Wu said, adding the revision improved the law by preventing official interference in statistical work, reinforcing responsibility and enhancing punishment so as to ensure the authenticity and credibility of data.

"During the deliberation, members of the NPC Standing Committee agreed with the judgement that this year has been the toughest for the country's economic development since the new century," he said.

The government's fiscal revenue dropped in the first five months year on year, according to a report submitted to the session.

Wu called on the State Council (cabinet) and relevant departments to take measures such as enhancing taxation while implementing structural tax reduction policies, improving the efficiency of fund use, practicing frugality, opposing extravagance and actively deepening fiscal system reform.

He asked the departments concerned to rectify problems in implementing the budget, as found by audit authorities, and report to the top legislature the progress before the year-end.

Officials involved in such problems would be punished according to law.

Wu said lawmakers had been deeply concerned about the reconstruction of quake-hit areas in Sichuan Province after the region was struck by the May 12, 2008 quake, and heard a report about reconstruction at this legislative meeting.

Lawmakers said the reconstruction work was "an important project concerning people's life and development" and efforts should be made to resolve housing problems for the poor as well rebuild public facilities such as schools, hospitals, transportation and water-conservation projects.

Socialist legal system

The top legislature adopted Saturday the nullification of eight laws, including one covering police stations that dates back to 1954, as part of an effort to eliminate redundant, contradictory and obsolete laws.

Wu said 2009-2010 was a key period in forming a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and the legislative work would be arduous.

He urged improving the legislative work so as to ensure the goal of establishing a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010, set by the Communist Party of China Central Committee in 1997.

The socialist legal system basically took shape in 2007 and this 11th NPC Standing Committee set the legislative priority as improving legislative quality by enacting backbone laws soon as well as clearing obsolete ones, he said.

Wu said overhauling laws was an important measure of improving legislation so as to ensure a scientific, integrated and harmonious legal system.

As of June 26, 2008, China had 229 laws, with categories including the Constitution, civil and commercial law, administrative and economic law and criminal law, among others.

He said the next step was to urge relevant departments to draft matching regulations.

"When drafting laws in the future, efforts should be made to enact relevant regulations as well so that the regulations could take effect simultaneously with the law, or not too late behind the law, in order to ensure an effective implementation of the law," Wu said.

He stressed that legislation in the pipeline should be completed in time. When revising or enacting laws, revision should be made collectively if disagreement was found in different laws or regulations, in order to ensure the legal system's integrity.

The top legislature also adopted a decision to remove Xia Zhengui, a former Party secretary of Linfen in northern Shanxi, and Ji Chuntang, a former mayor of northern Shijiazhuang, from the post as NPC deputies.

Ji was expelled for his role in last year's adulterated milk scandal. Xia was stripped of the post for a mine accident that caused 277 deaths last year.

According to the Credentials Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, the total number of deputies to the 11th NPC now stands at 2,982.

The meeting also appointed four senior officials to the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2009)