Public health legislation is China's priority in 2020

China’s top legislature said it will prioritize legislation on public health this year.

In its annual work report, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress said on Monday it also plans to revise the Wildlife Protection Law, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, and the Emergency Response Law in 2020.

The report was delivered by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, to the ongoing third session of the 13th NPC for deliberation.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the top legislature has performed its lawful duty, providing legal support for anti-epidemic efforts and economic and social development. It issued a decision to completely ban the illegal trade and consumption of wildlife, and reached out to the public to clarify epidemic prevention and control laws.

China currently has over 30 laws on public health, which have generally withstood the test of the COVID-19 epidemic and played a positive role, Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for the third session of the 13th NPC, said last week.

Zhang, however, noted that there are still some weak links and shortcomings in the legal framework, and the NPC Standing Committee will further strengthen China’s public health legislation.

Lawmakers are expected to review and approve the country’s biosecurity law within this year, according to Zhang. The draft biosecurity law went through a second reading in April.

Another important legislative task is safeguarding national security for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. A draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security is under deliberation at the session.

The legislation represents a major move taken under new circumstances for upholding and improving the system of institutions of “one country, two systems,” for maintaining law-based governance of Hong Kong, and for safeguarding the special administrative region’s constitutional order as defined in the Constitution and the Basic Law, according to the report.

It serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese including Hong Kong compatriots.

“I am confident that through the joint efforts of all deputies, we will be able to complete this important legislative task so as to provide a stronger legal guarantee for safeguarding our nation’s sovereignty, security, and development interests as well as ensuring Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability,” said Li in the report.

Since last year, the NPC Standing Committee has deliberated 48 drafts of laws and decisions and adopted 34 of them, including five new laws, 17 revisions of existing laws and 12 decisions on legal matters and major issues last year.

Li said the top legislature heard and deliberated 39 work reports, inspected the enforcement of six laws, conducted three special inquiries and seven research projects, and passed one resolution. It also approved five bilateral treaties.

Li announced that a unified nationwide digital platform to record and review normative documents has been established. The committee also carried out reviews based on requests from citizens and organizations, with a total of 138 requests received in 2019.

Li hailed the draft civil code submitted to the ongoing annual session for deliberation as a milestone in the country’s advancement of the rule of law.

The standing committee solicited opinions from the public on seven occasions during codification. “We are confident that, through the careful deliberation of all our deputies, we will be able to produce a civil code that boasts Chinese characteristics, embodies the spirit of the times, reflects the will of the people, protects civil rights and safeguards social fairness and justice,” he said.

Other highlights in the report include law on personal information protection which will be formulated this year.