China's top legislators on Monday approved the Ministry of Finance to expend "a certain amount" of fund in advance before the central budget is reviewed and approved next spring.

The chairman and vice-chairpersons of National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee made the decision at their meeting on Monday, said a statement issued after the meeting presided by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

The statement did not reveal the exact number of the fund.

"In face of serious challenges from domestic and international market, the government has carefully adjusted the macroeconomic policies," the statement said. "The new moves were proved to be correct and effective."

The central budget is supposed to be discussed at the NPC annual session in next March.

At the meeting, they also discussed the agenda of the six session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee, expected to convene from Dec. 22 to 27.

Under the proposed agenda, lawmakers taking part in the session would review the draft amendments to the law on precautions against earthquake and disaster relief, the patent law, the criminal law and insurance law as well as drafts of the law on social insurance and tort liability law.

The draft law on arbitration of rural land contract conflicts and draft amendment to the law on statistics will be first tabled at the session.

Two international pacts are due to be ratified during the session: the pact on the joint military exercises held by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members and the one on criminal judicial assistance between China and United Arab Emirates.

The State Council will table four reports, on implementation of the 11th Five-Year Plan, on measures to cope with international financial crisis and maintain a stable healthy economic growth, on measures to stabilize consumer price and on efforts to control water pollution.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2008)