The Standing Committee of the Ninth Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) opened its 30th meeting in Beijing on Friday to deliberate seven draft laws.
The meeting was presided over by Li Peng, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.
A draft law on a citizen's ID card was tabled to the four-day meeting for its first hearing. Chinese citizens will have a new type of ID card once the law is passed. According to the draft, each Chinese citizen would have an exclusive and permanent 18-digit ID number.
The draft law on protection of cultural relics, after being deliberated by the lawmakers three times, was tabled again for a fourth debate.
The draft allows the transfer and exchange of cultural relics among state-run museums and says those which make offers to other museums should get reasonable compensation. Individuals are also allowed to exchange cultural relics they legally possess, according to the draft law.
The draft law on the promotion of non-state educational institutions, tabled to the meeting for the third time, makes it clear that non-state-run educational institutions should not be run for profit but in the interests of the public.
The legislators also heard reports on four drafts - a draft amendment to the Insurance Law, a draft law on environmental impact assessment, and revised drafts on the Agriculture Law and the Grassland Law.
Moreover, explanations of extradition treaties between China and Tunis, and China and Peru were also tabled before the legislators at Friday's meeting.
(People's Daily October 28, 2002)
