China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), passed three laws Monday at its 30th meeting.

They are the Revised Law on the Protection of Cultural relics, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, and the Amendment to the Insurance Law.

The Revised Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, which had gone through four rounds of discussions, approves the exchange and transfer of cultural relics among state-run museums. Individuals are also allowed to exchange the cultural relics they legally possess.

The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, which will take effect Sept. 1, 2003, aims to further solve the problems of environmental pollution in China.

The Amendment to the Insurance Law emphasizes the protection of the legal interests of policy holders and the supervision to the insurance market.

The legislators also approved bills concerning the removal of Huang Zhendong from the post of minister of communications and ratified the appointment of Zhang Chunxian as the new minister.

Two deputies to the Ninth NPC were also deprived of their seats. According to an announcement by the Ninth NPC Standing Committee, the two deputies are Li Jingwei, former board chairman and general manager of the Guangdong Jianlibao Corporation, a famous sports drink company in China, and Sang Yuechun, former deputy to the Ninth People's Congress of Jilin Province.

The lawmakers also ratified two extradition treaties between China and Tunisia and between China and Peru.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2002)