China's top legislature starts standing committee session

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its 33rd session Sunday to prepare for the upcoming fifth annual session of the 13th NPC, which will open on March 5.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting. A total of 157 members of the NPC Standing Committee attended the meeting.

Lawmakers reviewed the work report of the NPC Standing Committee. The work report will be submitted to the annual assembly of the legislature in March for deliberation.

Lawmakers also reviewed the draft agenda for the NPC annual session, the draft name list of the annual session's presidium and secretary-general, and the draft name list of members invited to sit in on the annual session as non-voting participants.

They deliberated a draft decision on the ranks for active-duty soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, a draft decision to establish a Chengdu-Chongqing financial court, and a report on the implementation of a decision by the NPC Standing Committee regarding the litigation procedure of intellectual property cases.

Lawmakers also reviewed a report on certain deputies' qualifications, as well as personnel-related bills.