China's legislature will make the first deliberation on the draft of the bankruptcy law and hear reports on agriculture, the countryside and farmers during a legislative session starting June 21.

The agenda was adopted at Monday's meeting of the chairman and vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, presided over by Chairman Wu Bangguo.

As an important law of the 10th NPC Standing Committee's five-year legislation plan, the bankruptcy law will help regulate enterprises' behavior in applying for bankruptcy and lay a legal foundation for courts to hold just trials on bankruptcy cases. The law attaches great importance to safeguarding the interests of parties concerned and to maintaining the order of the country's socialist market economy, according to Monday's meeting.

Issues concerning agriculture, the countryside and farmers will draw great attention from legislators participating in the 10th meeting of the 10th NPC's Standing Committee slated for June 21-25,as reports on implementation of the land management law, of a variety of favorable agricultural policies and of financial aid for farmers, will be made at the meeting.

Since April this year, the 10th NPC Standing Committee has dispatched 12 inspection groups to different places in the country, which thoroughly investigated and researched the issues concerning agriculture, the countryside and farmers, and finally completed the reports.

The legislature will also hold the second hearing on the draft law on promoting agricultural mechanization, the draft law on contagious diseases prevention and control and the draft law on online signature.

The legislators will also deliberate and approve a consular agreement between China and New Zealand, protocol on revising the Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism signed on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, protocol on revising the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Charter which was signed on June 7, 2002 in St. Petersburg, and protocol on revising the agreement on the establishment of a regional anti-terrorism agency made by SCO member countries also on June 7, 2002 in St. Petersburg.

Other major items to be discussed or awaiting approval at the meeting include the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Beibu Gulf demarcation agreement between China and Vietnam, as well as State Council reports on 2003 final accounting of revenue and expenditure and on the implementation of the Central budget for 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2004)