Never before have the debates at National People's Congress of China been so heated as the new laws and policies will define China's future.
The 2007 session of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China marks a period of China's energetic and mostly successful development. It is agreed that it is time for China to further her reform efforts. Issues that receive most attention are the tax and property laws, the anti-corruption and sustainable development policies.
1. The tax and property laws:
The new property law is one of China's most debated and revised law. It is China's first specific law to protect private ownership equal to state ownership and is also a means to protect state-owned assets from erosion. Its draft was first submitted in 2002 and has been deliberated by the NPC Standing Committee seven times which is unprecedented. It was withdrawn from the NPC 2006 session because of worries that it might infringe the socialist foundation of the country. Public opinion was sought and the law was revised in August 2006 and was put to vote and was approved by the full NPC in March 2007. The law is expected to redefine and stabilize China economic structure thus encouraging the economic growth.
The less controversial corporate income tax sets a same tax rate at 25 percent for both domestic and foreign companies, putting an end to the 25 year criticism that the tax policy is unfair for Chinese companies. The Chinese law makers are confident that China's market is now strong enough to attract foreign investors by its own qualities, not by policies encouraging foreign investment.
2. The anti-corruption activities:
The special political environment and the booming economy of China harbors the great corruption threat. Therefore, anti-corruption has received special attention over the past few years. In 2006, 825 corrupted officials above the county level were convicted according to the work report of the Supreme People's Court before the NPC. At the 2007 session, the NPC showed its support to the strong anti-corruption measures currently applied by the government. The deputies also emphasized the necessity of perfecting the legal system and a more effective supervision of NPC and the citizens over the government in order to prevent corruption.
3. Sustainable development
In order to maintain the growth rate in the future, the NPC held that social and environmental problems had to be solved. Half of the 20 draft laws or amendments to be debated in this session are about social issues. The hottest issues at the present are the wide gap between the urban and rural areas as well as the East and the West, the living and working conditions of the migrant workers from the rural areas, the ecological and environmental protection.
Education is considered the key to development, especially for the rural areas. A nine-year education is compulsory and children in less developed provinces will be exempted from all fees for this compulsory education from 2007. It is also required that the authority have to be more responsible in the matter of education for the migrant workers' children.
Together with the increase in investment for the rural areas, the deputies urged the reform in the government of these areas. Tight supervision over the implementation of the recently passed Agricultural Law, Land Administration Law and Law on Rural Land Contracts is promised. To befit their increasing importance in China's Economy, the rural migrant workers will have their own representatives in the next 5-year NPC period which begins in 2008.
In this session, the NPC also acknowledged the importance of building an energy-saving and environmentally friendly society which is prerequisite for a stable development.
References:
http://www.cctv.com/english/special/2007sessions/
http://www.xinhuanet.com
