China strengthens legislation to support 15th Five-Year Plan

On May 27, 2026, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing on advancing comprehensive law-based governance of China. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

China will intensify its legislative efforts to provide strong support for the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, said Huang Wei, vice chairperson of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, at a press conference Wednesday.

The NPC Standing Committee recently finalized and released its annual legislative work plan. Huang noted that the plan lists 15 draft laws for continued deliberation, 19 draft laws for initial review, and several other items for preparatory evaluation. Notably, three major pieces of legislation — the Ecological and Environmental Code, the National Development Planning Law, and the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law — were already adopted in March.

The newly released plan has set out priorities in six major areas. 

To accelerate the development of a high-standard socialist market economy, lawmakers will introduce new laws on the protection and quality improvement of cultivated land, alongside a law on state-owned assets. The plan also outlines revisions to existing laws on enterprise bankruptcy, trademarks, certified public accountants, state-owned assets of enterprises, bidding, government procurement, pricing, agriculture, and tax collection.

In the financial sector, lawmakers are drafting dedicated laws on finance and financial stability, while revising laws on banking supervision and the People's Bank of China. Research will also be advanced on broader financial legislation.

New legislation is being developed to address social assistance, healthcare security, childcare services, national fire and rescue personnel, and the development of the industrial workforce. In addition, existing laws regarding teachers, road traffic safety, and urban real estate management are slated for revision.

To safeguard and promote social fairness and justice, the plan includes formulating a law on procuratorial public interest litigation law and revising the Prison Law and the Criminal Procedure Law.

Following the adoption of the Ecological and Environmental Code, lawmakers will continue to improve the nation’s green legal framework. Upcoming initiatives include a new law on Antarctic activities and environmental protection, as well as revisions to the Water Law and the Renewable Energy Law.

To strengthen foreign-related rule of law, China will draft a law combating cross-border corruption and another protecting the rights and interests of overseas Chinese. Foreign-related provisions within other laws will also be refined.

Overall, the legislative agenda of the 14th NPC Standing Committee is progressing smoothly, Huang said. So far, 58 of the 79 top-priority legislative items scheduled to be submitted for deliberation during its current term have been completed.

Next year, the committee will begin drafting its next five-year legislative plan. That work will focus on better coordinating the rule of law with reform, development, and stability, and on safeguarding and promoting social fairness and justice.

By conducting thorough research, broad consultation, and careful review of legislative proposals, particularly those put forward by NPC deputies, the committee aims to arrange upcoming legal projects in a sound and orderly way to provide strong legal support for the smooth implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Huang said.