The State Council approved in principle a draft law on population and family planning and a draft decree for the protection of integrated circuit (IC) designs Wednesday.
The draft law and decree were discussed and approved at an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Zhu Rongji.
The participants agreed that though the country has made outstanding achievements in population control and population quality improvement, there remains a huge and strenuous task to maintain the low rate of population growth.
Hence, the meeting concluded that it is necessary that the country promulgate a law on population and family planning.
The participants also shared the view that IC technology forms the basis of the information technology industry and stands to play a major part in promoting the use of information technology in the national economy.
They agreed that the decree would protect IC design patents and encourage innovation in IC technologies.
In the meeting it was decided that the draft law on population and family planning will be submitted to the National People's Congress Standing Committee for approval after further revisions, and that the draft decree on the protection of IC designs will be promulgated by the State Council after further revisions.
(Xinhua 03/29/2001)
