Extracts. NPC Chairman on Legislation Work in 2000 China to Enact More Laws This Year: Li Peng ------------------------------------------------------------------------The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress adopted 14 laws, one decision on legal problems and one judicial interpretation over the past year, said Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Friday. Besides, 12 bills are being reviewed, he said. Reporting the work of the NPC Standing Committee to the on-going annual session of the Ninth National People's Congress, Li Peng said that the NPC Standing Committee revised the Law on Regional Autonomy of Minority Nationalities, revised laws on Chinese-foreign cooperative ventures, and foreign investment enterprises, customs and patents. The committee also made laws on seeds and revised the laws on product quality, air pollution control, and fisheries, adopted laws on the national common written and spoken language, extradition, protection of the rights and interests of the families of returned overseas Chinese, drug administration and regulations on officers in active service and took a decision on safeguarding Internet security. The laws were revised based on the changes that have taken place in the course of the development of the socialist market economy, Li said. In the past year, the NPC Standing Committee rectified 12 treaties or important agreements signed with foreign countries, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Li said that China is a country always honoring its commitments. It will perform the obligations of all international treaties and agreements it signed with foreign countries and ensure their implementation, he declared The NPC Standing Committee also organized checks on the enforcement of the township enterprise law, land management law, the organic law of urban neighborhood committees and criminal procedure law. On the supervision side, Li said, the NPC Standing Committee held hearings on a number of hot spot problems and on central tasks of the country, including WTO accession, implementation of the Western China Development Drive and reform of state-owned enterprises.It also strengthened oversight over the handling of the major problems raised in the auditing report. Li also reviewed the achievements in foreign exchange and cooperation and the handling of motions, proposals and criticism raised in the last annual session. China to Enact More Laws This Year In 2001, China will complete amending the Marriage Law and work on new laws including a Civil Code, laws governing some sorts of administrative activities, and a number of economic laws on fighting monopoly, dumping of foreign goods, and social security. China's legislative work has made enormous achievements in the past decades, but some laws that should constitute a major component of a socialist legal system are yet to be enacted, said the top legislator. He pledged to lose no time in working out the laws. He said, "To strengthen supervision by law is one of the main jobs of the NPC." The NPC Standing Committee has put the enactment of a supervision law on its agenda this year, in response to strong calls to the effect made by lawmakers at previous sessions, Li said. Once the law is drafted, it will be handed over to the standing committee for discussion. This year, the standing committee will also bring an end to the much-debated amending of the Marriage Law, work on a law on material rights, and start working on a Civil Code, according to the top legislator. At the same time, the standing committee will work on a law on administrative compsulsory measures, a law on administrative licensing, and a law on administrative charges, to pave the way to work out a unified administrative procedural law, he noted. The proposed enactment of an anti-monopoly law and an anti- dumping law will fill up a blank in the country's financial legislation, while the enactment of a social security law will help improve the social security system in China to ensure social stability, according to Li. When all these laws are enacted, a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics will take shape, he said. In the coming two years, the standing committee will work on the above laws and laws that aim to promote socialist democracy, building a clean government, development of a socialist market economy, and joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). He pledged to bring democracy into full play in legislative work. Power Without Control, Supervision Leads to Corruption Li Peng said Friday the NPC will take practical measures to strengthen supervision over and ensure law enforcement. It is necessary to establish supervision over the exercise of power to prevent power abuse, Li said in his report on the Standing Committee's work at the fourth plenary meeting of the annual NPC session. "Historical experience shows that power free from control and supervision will lead inevitably to corruption," the top legislator said, adding: "If we fail to do a good job of fighting corruption and building a clean government, we'll risk the future of the Party and the state." He appealed for efforts to prevent and curb corruption from the source. In the fight against corruption, education is the foundation for success, a well-functioning legal system is a guarantee and supervision plays a key role, he said. Li said the NPC Standing Committee will take into consideration the campaign against corruption when it enacts laws in the future. In the new year, he said, the NPC Standing Committee will organize inspections on law enforcement and hear reports on specific work relating to major social and economic issues concerning the implementation of the country's 10th Five-Year Plan. The committee will also continue its fight against the Falun Gong cult, he said. **** FM Spokesman on Sino-US Relations China attaches great importance to Sino-US relations, and is willing to work with the US to strengthen dialogue, build understanding, expand common ground and carry out further cooperation. Chinese Foreign Ministry <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/> Spokesman Zhu Bangzao made the remark here Thursday afternoon at a routine press conference, saying that the two sides should do more to safeguard bilateral relations so as to ensure the healthy and steady progress of such relations. Noting that Sino-US relations have reached an important moment bridging the past and future, Zhu said that bilateral relations, although they have been undergone uneven developments in the past, are generally moving forward. At the start of the new century, China and the US share extensive and significant common interests and tasks in matters concerning peace, development, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and the world at large, he stressed. He pointed out that a healthy and steady development of bilateral cooperative relations is in the common interest of the two countries and their people. He said he is convinced that Sino-US relations can continue to develop only when the three Sino-US joint communiques are sincerely observed and the existing problems between the two sides, particularly the Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> issue, can be handled properly. Zhu noted that the US has made serious commitments on the Taiwan issue, and it is recognized by most countries in the world that there is only one China, Taiwan is part of China, and the Taiwan issue is an internal affair of China. Past experience has shown that the Taiwan issue has always been the most important and sensitive key issue in Sino-US relations, and it directly affects the general situation of this relationship, voiced Zhu. The US made clear its commitments on this issue to the Chinese, and the US government repeatedly stated these commitments, which are to adhere to the "one-China" policy and abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and other commitments, added Zhu. He said he hoped that the new US leaders and government can honor these commitments in a down-to-earth manner, handle Taiwan issue properly and support China's peaceful reunification. **** US Ambassador on Sino-US Relations The United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> and China should conduct strategic dialogue on the basis of mutual respect, and the United States will continue to build a constructive relationship with China, US Ambassador to China Joseph Prueher said Thursday. At a seminar sponsored by the Center for World Affairs Studies of Xinhua News Agency <http://www.xinhua.org/> , Prueher reviewed the development of the two countries' relations in recent years. Prueher said that the Bush administration views US-China relations as "too important" and "too rich," and believes that they should be "constructive relations on the basis of mutual respect." Prueher said that he is confident in the prospects of the US- China relations. Asia's population accounts for over 50 percent of the world's total, and given its economic development Asia is becoming increasingly important in the new century, Prueher said. He said the Bush administration attaches great importance to its relationship with countries in the region, especially that with China. Prueher said that the United States and China share common interests and can strengthen cooperation in such fields as trade and commerce, environmental protection, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as cooperation in the United Nations and other international organizations. The ambassador also exchanged views with participants on such issues as the US arms sales to Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> and US-China trade. Prior to the seminar, Tian Congming, president of Xinhua News Agency, met with Prueher. **** Writing New Chapter for Cause of Women: Commentary At the arrival of the first "March 8" International Laboring Women's Day of the new century, we extend our warm greetings to women of various nationalities and in various circles of the country who are working hard on various fronts! And our cordial regards to laboring women in various countries around the world! Women of China solemnly commemorate this day, March 8 every year, in order to arouse the concern of the whole society for the issue and rights of women, earnestly safeguard their lawful rights and interests, and mobilize the broad section of women to actively pitch into the cause of reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive. In China, the population of women makes up half of the total. In the great practice of reform, opening up and the socialist modernization program, they emancipate their minds, update their old concepts and display their abilities at their different posts, the large number of model workers and outstanding talents emerged in the process have become an important force in China's economic, political and cultural construction, and "hold up half the sky" in economic construction and social development. Women federations at various levels, under the leadership of Party committees and governments at all levels, are creatively carrying out work, centered around the general situation regarding the work of the whole Party and the whole country and in combination with the effort to safeguard women's rights and interests and promote an all-round development of women's cause; they have played an important role in improving women's qualities, safeguarding women's rights and interests and promoting socialist cultural and ethical progress. The work of women has taken on a new look brimming with vitality. This year marks the beginning of the new century and is the first year of implementation of the outline of the 10th Five-year Plan for economic and social development in China. Under the guidance of the outline of the 10th Five-year Plan, China's Women and Children Development Program (2001-2010) will also be put into practice. Such being the case, success made in the work of this year will be of important significance in forming a connecting link between the preceding and the following and carrying on the past and opening a way for the future. Women federations at all levels should further emancipate their minds, be keen on reforms, engage in constant innovation and lead the broad section of women to start their careers and make contributions in the socialist modernization drive, so as to make a good start and lay a sound foundation for the cause of China's women and children at the beginning of the 21st century. China is presently in the primary stage of socialism, the principal contradictions at the present stage determine that we must concentrate our energy on developing productive forces. Chinese women play a vital role in promoting social progress and boosting the liberation and development of productive forces. Implementation of the outline of the 10th Five-year Plan requires further display of the initiative and creativity of the broad masses of women. Women in different trades and professions should have a clear understanding of the situation, show greater enthusiasm in participating in the practice of the accelerated economic construction, ensuring that they work diligently, immerse themselves in hard work, learn from and overtake the advanced, be determined to make progress and display their talents in all places where they can exert their roles. The deeper is reform and opening up and the further the development of the socialist market economy, the greater is the need to strengthen the building of socialist culture and ethics. Women are the creators of material wealth, as well as the builders of advanced culture and ethics. Women of all ethnic groups and from all walks of life should be well aware of the responsibilities placed on their shoulders, start something on their own initiative and begin with doing trifle things bit by bit; they should take the lead in promoting new social mood, advocate civilized and healthy lifestyles and ensure that they love the collective, show concern for others, respect and love their work, make selfless dedication, uphold science, boycott heresies, use their own civilization and progress to promote family civilization and progress and further social stability and development. Respect and protect women is an important indication of social progress and is the law and morality a civilized society should have. At the arrival of the 91st "March 8" International Laboring Women Day, we hope that the entire society will further establish a Marxist outlook on women, give full play to the superiority of the socialist system in safeguarding women's legal rights and interests and enhancing the social status of women, implement the basic national policy on equality between men and women, discard the traditional concept of regarding men as superior to women, deal a telling blow at the law-breaking criminal acts that encroach upon the rights and interests of women and children and harm their physical and mental health, and strive to create a sound social environment for the development of women and children. The broad section of Chinese women who have stepped on the new century journey, with their pursuit of and aspiration for the future, will definitely write a new chapter for the cause of the Chinese women by holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and rallying closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/leaders/jzm/jzmhome.htm> at the core. **** China Opposed to Cloning of Man The Chinese government is opposed to research into the cloning of man, a scientist said Thursday. "The cloning of man is not allowed in China," said Hong Guofan, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee. "However, we differentiate between cloning technology and the cloning of man," said Hong, who is also director of the State Gene Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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