Deputies to verify laws, regulations are proper

China's top legislature will push for constitutional compliance inspections and better ways of reviewing documents this year－administrative rules, judicial interpretations, local laws and regulations－to ensure that they are consistent with the Constitution and the law, according to a work report delivered on Sunday.

"In advancing law-based governance in all fields, we must give high priority to enforcing the Constitution," said Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress. "And we need to make solid moves to ensure enforcement of and compliance with the Constitution."

He delivered the work report on behalf of the Standing Committee to about 3,000 deputies to the NPC, the top legislative body, on Sunday afternoon.

This year is the first for action putting into effect the guiding principles outlined in October's 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and also the year that a new NPC and standing committee assume their duties, the report said.

"Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era... we must maintain the unity of Party leadership, the running of the country by the people and law-based governance," Zhang said.

"We should increase publicity and education about the Constitution, and raise to a new level our work promoting the governance of the country based on the Constitution and the law."

Important moves to strengthen the supervisory role of the NPC, the top legislature, will improve its capacity to record and review documents and perform constitutional compliance inspections to address inconsistencies with the Constitution and law, Zhang added.

Reviewing documents is a significant duty of the NPC Standing Committee, which has the power to nullify anything that contradicts the Constitution and laws, he said.

Liang Ying, a senior legislator and member of the Legal Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the NPC is conducting research into details such as who is responsible for a particular inspection and what procedures should be followed.

To further strengthen oversight, the top legislature has made plans to review the enforcement of several laws, including the Statistics Law, the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law and the Marine Environment Protection Law this year, according to Zhang, the top legislator.

A midterm assessment report on the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), which was released on Sunday, will be heard and deliberated throughout the coming year, as will reports on the management of State-owned assets, the implementation of major national science and technology programs, the protection of the rights and interests of overseas Chinese and other issues.

The NPC Standing Committee will make a legislative work plan for the coming five years, and steps will be taken to formulate a foreign investment law and an e-commerce law, according to the assessment report.

Legislative efforts in the social and environmental sectors will also be strengthened to formulate a community-based rehabilitation law for convicted criminals, a law on promoting basic medical and healthcare coverage and a law on the prevention and control of soil pollution, the report said.