China's national legislature plans to deliberate on 20 draft laws including an amendment to the criminal procedural law and a draft of the social insurance law in 2007.

A majority of the 20 draft laws are expected to be adopted in 2007, according to the legislation plan of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) which was announced on Tuesday.

This plan stipulates the draft property law and draft corporate income tax law will be deliberated on and are expected to be approved at the upcoming fifth session of the 10th NPC in March.

The NPC Standing Committee will continue to deliberate on the draft labor contract law, draft emergency responding law, draft administrative mandatory law, draft anti-drug law, and draft anti-monopoly law in 2007.

Thirteen draft laws will be submitted to China's legislature for first reading this year, including the draft employment promotion law, draft labor dispute arbitration law, draft town and country planning law, draft energy saving law, draft lawyer law, draft amendment to civil procedural law, draft circular economy law, draft seventh amendment to criminal law, draft amendment to science and technology progress law, draft illegal acts corrective law, draft amendment to criminal procedural law, draft social insurance law, and draft amendment to food safety law.

According to the legislation plan, China will have 230 effective laws by early 2008.

An official with the NPC Standing Committee said the 10th NPC will end its five-year tenure in early 2008. After the annual legislation plan of 2007 is completed, the 10th NPC's objective to establish a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics will be realized.

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2007)