China’s top legislature eyes more laws for Hong Kong, Macau

The closing meeting of the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 28, 2020. Xinhua FILE PHOTO via China Daily/Asia News Network

BEIJING — The Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene its 30th session next month in Beijing to discuss draft legislation, including a decision that would add more laws that can be applied in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

The decision to hold the session from Aug 17 to 20 was made on Tuesday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

According to the proposed agenda, lawmakers will review at the session draft laws on personal information protection, supervisors, legal aid, physicians, combating organized crime, family education and land border as well as a draft revision to the military service law.

They will also hear draft revisions to the law on scientific and technological progress, the law on prevention and control of noise pollution, the seed law and the population and family planning law.

Lawmakers will deliberate a draft decision to include more national laws in the list of laws in Annex III to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a similar one concerning Annex III to the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

The NPC Standing Committee will also deliberate a draft decision to authorize the Supreme People’s Court to launch pilot projects of court reform.

Other documents to be submitted at the session will include reports on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan and on the implementation of this year’s budget.