China is stepping up efforts to protect the legal rights of returned overseas Chinese, as the central government has issued a regulation in this regard.

The regulation, issued by the State Council, or China's cabinet, and to take effect on July 1, orders that all local governments at the county level and above attach importance to the legal rights of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

"The local governments and related departments should help them settle down, according to relevant regulations of the nation," the regulation says.

It requires that local governments give support to returned overseas Chinese and their relatives if they invest in developing waste mountains, waste land, and beach land according to law, or if they take up agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery activities.

"The local governments and related departments should also give support to them when they set up public welfare undertakings, and their legal rights are protected by law," it says.

The All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and local federations operate according to their own regulations to protect the legal rights of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, according to the regulation.

"If their legal rights are infringed upon, they have the right to ask the related government departments to investigate in accordance with the law, or the right to go to court," it says.

The old regulation in this regard, issued by the State Council on July 19, 1993, will be at the same time repealed when the new one takes effect.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2004)