China's top legislature closed its weeklong bimonthly session Saturday morning, approving the nomination of the new minister of commerce and adopting a number of bills, including one to raise the country's monthly individual income tax levy threshold.

Lawmakers voted to approve the nomination of Chen Deming, former governor of Shaanxi Province, as the country's new minister of commerce. Chen, born in 1949, replaces 58-year-old Bo Xilai, who has been appointed Communist Party chief of southwestern China's Chongqing municipality.

The draft amendment to the law on individual income tax raises the country's monthly individual income tax levy threshold from the current 1,600 yuan (218 U.S. dollars) to 2,000 yuan.

The increase was believed to relieve the economic burden of medium- and low-income earners amid the recent price increase of some goods. The amendment will take effect on March 1, 2008.

Lawmakers also voted to adopt a decision on issues relating to the methods for selecting the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and for forming the HKSAR Legislative Council and on issues relating to universal suffrage.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said at the closing session that the adoption of the methods is an important decision made by the NPC Standing Committee on the issues concerning the development of Hong Kong's political system.

He said the decision is significant to comprehensively implement the principle of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people governing the HKSAR," and the high degree of autonomy, as well as the HKSAR Basic Law.

It will also ensure Hong Kong's democratic system to develop in line with the HKSAR Basic Law and in a gradual, progressive and healthy way, and maintain and promote long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong, Wu said.

According to the methods, the NPC Standing Committee approved that appropriate amendments may be made to the specific method for selecting the fourth HKSAR chief executive and the specific method for forming the fifth term HKSAR Legislative Council in the year 2012.

The committee also decided that the election of the fifth HKSAR chief executive in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage.

After the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the HKSAR Legislative Council may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.

The committee decided that the election of the fourth HKSAR Chief Executive in the year 2012 shall not be implemented by the method of universal suffrage. The election of the fifth term HKSAR Legislative Council in the year 2012 shall not be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.

Other law bills adopted at the session include the country's first anti-drug law, a draft law on labor dispute mediation and arbitration, a draft amendment to the law on road transportation safety, a draft revision of the law on science and technology progress, and a draft amendment to the law on cultural relic protection.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)