China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the Ninth
National
People's Congress (NPC), passed three laws Monday at its 30th
meeting.
They are the Revised Law on the Protection of Cultural relics, the
Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, and the Amendment to the
Insurance Law.
The Revised Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics, which had
gone through four rounds of discussions, approves the exchange and
transfer of cultural relics among state-run museums. Individuals
are also allowed to exchange the cultural relics they legally
possess.
The Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, which will take effect
Sept. 1, 2003, aims to further solve the problems of environmental
pollution in China.
The Amendment to the Insurance Law emphasizes the protection of the
legal interests of policy holders and the supervision to the
insurance market.
The legislators also approved bills concerning the removal of Huang
Zhendong from the post of minister of communications and ratified
the appointment of Zhang Chunxian as the new minister.
Two deputies to the Ninth NPC were also deprived of their seats.
According to an announcement by the Ninth NPC Standing Committee,
the two deputies are Li Jingwei, former board chairman and general
manager of the Guangdong Jianlibao Corporation, a famous sports
drink company in China, and Sang Yuechun, former deputy to the
Ninth People's Congress of Jilin Province.
The lawmakers also ratified two extradition treaties between China
and Tunisia and between China and Peru.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 29, 2002)