China's top legislature Thursday agreed a legislation overhaul with the updating and revision of 141 provisions in 59 different laws.
Most amendments focused on deleting outdated terms or clarifying them, as well as making certain provisions consistent with revised laws.
Article 7 of the General Principle of the Civil Law of the People's Republic of China, which reads, "Civil activities shall have respect for social ethics and shall not harm the public interest, undermine state economic plans or disrupt social economic order," has had the expression "undermine state economic plans" deleted.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) agreed that "state economic plans" was redundant with China's transition from a planned to a market-oriented economy over the past three decades.
In laws regarding fisheries, railways, urban real estate and electric power, the expression "requisition" has been changed into "levy".
In China, "requisition" refers to the transfer of the right of use, while "levy" refers to the transfer of ownership from individuals or groups to the state.
In many laws regarding mineral resources, wild life protection, frontier hygiene and quarantine, teachers, and civil aviation, references to specific articles of the Criminal Law have been altered to "according to relevant provisions of the Criminal Law".
The 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC was held in Beijing from Monday to Thursday. At the ninth session held in June, eight laws and regulations were annulled.
(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2009)
