China's top legislature on Saturday repealed entry and exit permits for the transport of corpses to simplify procedures for public convenience and to enhance government administration efficiency.

The 31st session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) approved the amendment to the Border Quarantine Law.

It stipulated that "a consignor or an agent for the transport of a corpse or human remains into or out of the country must declare the matter to a frontier health and quarantine office; transport thereof, in either direction across the border, shall not be allowed until sanitary inspection proves satisfactory."

In other words, a related administrative permit will not be required. The move is believed to be part of the government's reform of administrative procedure for examination and approval.

The legislative session also adopted an amendment to the Cultural Relics Protection Law, exempting three items from administrative approval by the central government.

The reconstruction of unmovable cultural relics, the use of state-owned commemorative buildings and ancient buildings for other purposes rather than museums and visiting places, and the borrowing and lending of first-rate cultural relics can be permitted by provincial governments instead of the central government, according to the amendment.

It also simplified the administration procedures for state-run museums to exchange cultural relics for exhibition and scientific research.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)