More than 5,000 new regulations enacted at local level in 10 years

A total of 323 prefecture-level cities in China with local legislative power have enacted more than 5,000 new regulations over the past decade, according to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Since the amendment to the Legislation Law granted all prefecture-level cities the authority to legislate in 2015, local people's congresses and their standing committees have actively addressed practical issues through legislation, said Wu Zeng, deputy head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, in a recent group interview.

Many cities have intensified legislative efforts on urban and rural development, grassroots governance, environmental protection and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, formulating regulations concerning various areas such as property management, fireworks, dog ownership and waste sorting, Wu noted.

These regulations have not only addressed issues closely related to people's interests, including parking, pet management, gas and drinking water, but also met the governance needs of different regions in a manner tailored to local conditions, she added.

Wu cited Guangzhou and Wenzhou as examples, saying they made regulations on intelligent connected vehicles and technological innovation in private enterprises that have played a big role in promoting high-quality economic development.

To strengthen environmental conservation, some cities such as Huizhou and Dali have formulated regulations regarding water quality protection and rural cleanliness, providing strong legal support for beautifying China, she said.

"These regulations have contributed to enhancing local law-based governance and, along with national laws and administrative documents, form integral parts of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics," Wu emphasized.

Cai Renjun, another official from the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said that local regulations refine and complement national laws and administrative documents, adding that the formulation of these regulations is also the implementation of the whole-process people's democracy.