Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, detailed the principles at a national conference on law-making, which concluded in Beijing Thursday.

Jiang Chunyun, Zou Jiahua and Buhe, all vice chairmen of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the two-day meeting.

According to Li Peng, legislation should abide by the following principles:

-- conform to the instruction of President Jiang Zemin, which calls for earnestly representing the development requirements of China's advanced social productive forces, the progressive course of China's advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people.

-- serve the general situation of reform, development and stability;

-- make legislation more democratic and scientific;

-- observe the provisions of the Law on Legislation;

-- legislation should be under the leadership of CPC.

Li also pointed out that marked achievements have been made in the past 20 years since China started pursuing its reform and opening-up policies.

Until now, the NPC and its NPC Standing Committee have passed 271 laws and 113 decisions and explanations on laws, thus forming a comparatively complete law system with the Constitution as the core, Li said.

Vowing to continue to give priority to making laws regarding economics, Li revealed that China is to enact laws on property rights, bankruptcy, anti-monopoly, insurance, social security, and so on.

The Ninth NPC will promulgate the civil law within its term, he said. Efforts will also be made to draft laws and regulations aimed at facilitating the country's ambitious strategy of developing the western areas.

(Xinhua 11/2/2000)