OVERSIGHT

-- The NPC Standing Committee heard and deliberated State Council's report on counteracting the severe snow and ice storms in part of the south, on carrying out post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction, the reports on the final central government budget for 2007, on auditing work and on plan implementation, the Supreme People's Court's report on improving criminal trial work and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's report on strengthening oversight for criminal trials.

-- The NPC Standing Committee received a total of 475 normative documents to be filed and handled 86 suggestions from ordinary individuals and organizations concerning examination work.

-- In the year to come, the NPC Standing Committee should improve oversight of economic work. the handling of issues affecting people's well being.

ENABLING DEPUTIES TO PLAY THEIR ROLE

-- The special committees have handled all the 462 proposals that the Presidium of the last NPC session assigned to them. Eight laws that came up in 26 proposals have been adopted by the Standing Committee. Deliberations are being conducted on four draft laws that were brought up in 50 proposals, and 38 legislative items listed in 126 proposals have been included in the legislative plan.

-- A total of 6,279 suggestions were made by the deputies during the last NPC session, and the problems mentioned in 4,489, or 71.5%, of them have been resolved or will be resolved according to plan.

FOREIGN CONTACTS

-- The NPC Standing Committee carried out various forms of dialogue with the parliaments of the United Kingdom, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Egypt, as well as with the European Parliament. In response to provocations from the congresses of some countries concerning the Taiwan and Tibet questions, the NPC Standing Committee engaged in fierce struggle and defended China's core interests through declarations from the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

-- The NPC Standing Committee actively took part in the activities organized by international and regional parliamentary organizations and successfully hosted the fifth Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting.

PARTY LEADERSHIP

-- Through the work of the NPC, The NPC Standing Committee must ensure that the stands of the Party become the will of the state through legally stipulated procedures and that the personnel recommended by Party organizations become the leaders of the organs of state power through legally stipulated procedures.

-- The NPC Standing Committee must draw on the achievements of all cultures, including their political achievements, but will never simply copy the system of Western countries or introduce a system of multiple parties holding office in rotation, a system with the separation of the three powers or a bicameral system.

NEW LAWS IN PIPELINE

-- The NPC Standing Committee will formulate a social security law, social welfare law, law on tort liability, law on administrative coercion, law on arbitration of disputes concerning contracted rural land, law on mental health and law on national defense mobilization. The NPC Standing Committee will also revise the Law on State Compensation, the Law on Protecting State Secrets, the Electoral Law, the Organic Law of Villager Committees, the Land Administration Law, the Postal Law and the Statistics Law.

(Source: Xinhua)