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The Chinese legislature will beef up law-making and supervision
to fight corruption and safeguard people's interests, spokesman
Jiang Enzhu said Thursday before the opening of the Second Session
of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing Friday.
In addition to slamming Taiwan's "referendum" and warning
against foreign interference in Hong Kong, Jiang also said amending
the Constitution, which is one of the top priorities for the 10-day
NPC session, caters to the country's need to build a "well-off"
society.
Jiang, himself a deputy secretary general of the NPC session,
said the nation's top legislature will continue to step up its
law-making to prevent and eliminate corruption.
Anti-corruption campaigns have continually intensified as China
has undergone structural readjustment and social change, with
law-breakers being severely penalized, Jiang said.
Although an era of change is prone to frequent corruption, the
mainstream of the Communist Party and government leadership is
"good." Only a very small number of them have been punished for
corruption, he said.
"The NPC has stressed checking the sources of corruption through
legislation," Jiang said.
The top legislative body has revised the country's Criminal Law
to provide a legal guarantee for the fight against corruption, and
has enacted laws such as the Administrative Review Law, the
Government Procurement Law and the Administrative Licensing Law to
regulate government behavior, he said.
The country's legislature plans to improve and make more laws to
eradicate corruption, Jiang said.
They include a law on administrative fee collection and other
statutes to improve administrative efficiency and regulate
governance behavior, he said.
The people's congresses can fulfill their rights of supervision
over governments, courts and procuratorates by means of making
inquiries and comments and by carrying out law enforcement
inspections, Jiang said.
This year, the NPC Standing Committee will inspect how laws on
animal epidemic prevention, compulsory education, trade unions and
auditing are being implemented, he revealed.
"We'll also strengthen our efforts to examine government reports
and step up supervision over budget reports to help government
exert administrative power in accordance to law," Jiang said.
With regard to constitutional amendments to be finalized at the
NPC session, Jiang said the changes serve to make the current
Constitution even better, and more responsive to the country's need
to build a well-off society in an all-around way while accelerating
the modernization drive.
The amendments were advanced by the Communist Party of China
Central Committee in October and have since become hot topics
across the country.
The draft amendments to the Constitution cover such areas as the
protection of private property, human rights and the growth of the
private economy, as well as the "Three Represents" theory.
When asked if Taiwan's election will be discussed during the
congress session, the spokesman said: "We don't care about the
election itself." "What we care about is after the election, no
matter which party, which person gains power, we hope they will
accept the 'one China' principle, and based on this principle, hold
dialogues and negotiations, open the 'three links' (direct trade,
transport and mail), and promote the peaceful reunification of the
motherland."
Jiang said the so-called "defensive referendum" pushed forward
by the Taiwan authorities is a "very immoral" campaigning tactic of
"president" Chen Shui-bian.
"In seeking his personal 're-election,' Chen has put the
tangible interests of the Taiwan people at stake. This is indeed
very immoral," he said.
Chen's act has stirred up the indignation and condemnation of
the 1.3 billion Chinese people including the Taiwan compatriots,
Jiang said.
"We understand and respect the Taiwan compatriots' desire for
developing democracy, but we firmly oppose the Taiwan authorities'
pursuit of 'Taiwan Independence' and any separatist activities
under the cloak of democracy," he said.
"As long as the slightest hope remains, we will spare no efforts
to seek a peaceful reunification."
When asked to comment on plans of some Hong Kong Legislative
Council members to give evidence to a US Senate hearing on the
issue of democracy in Hong Kong, Jiang said China has enough wisdom
to resolve the Hong Kong question according to law and does not
need external forces making unreasonable remarks.
Jiang said: "For those who have already joined the leadership of
Hong Kong, I remember that in the oath of their inauguration, they
vowed to support the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR) of People's Republic of China, and
vowed to be loyal in their service to the HKSAR."
"I think they should honestly perform their duties just as when
they were sworn in."
(China Daily March 4, 2004)
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