Towns, villages and streets with abundant historic or revolutionary relics will be listed as cultural heritages in China, according to a revision of the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics under discussion.

The current law, which was adopted in 1982 and has seen little changes since, includes measures to protect only historic and cultural cities in China.

Lawmakers attending the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) agreed Tuesday to strengthen legislation on the protection of cultural relics.

The relics are a matter of common concern because the nation's long and splendid history has bestowed upon its people a tremendous legacy, said Li Peng, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

But problems have surfaced regarding the protection of cultural relics, Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng said in a proposed report on the draft amendment on Monday.

For one, the unilateral emphasis on economic construction and insufficient protection of historical heritage has caused damage to some unmovable historical relics in certain areas.

And loopholes in the management of museums and private collections have led to the loss of museum relics as well rampant excavation and smuggling of relics, Sun said.

The draft amendment not only enlarges the sphere of cultural relic protection, but also outlines specific fines and administrative punishment for those who destruct, hide or smuggle cultural relics.

Criminal punishment also will be pursued if the actions have violated the Criminal Code.

Regarding private collections, the draft amendment states that individuals, legal persons or private organizations can obtain cultural relics through inheritance, bestowal, purchase from a relic shop or auction.

But they are forbidden to trade on excavated, museum-collected cultural relics without approval from a legitimate source.

The draft amendment also includes stipulations on how the cultural relics should enter and exit the border.

Lawmakers also conducted group deliberations Tuesday on the draft law on government procurement, which is crucial to improving the efficiency of government and avoid corruption.

The lawmakers said that the draft law, which was deliberated for the first time, should offer stipulations on how to manage the departments in charge of government procurement.

The six-day lawmakers' meeting will end tomorrow.

(China Daily October 26, 2001)