Focus on laws related to foreign affairs

Several laws concerning foreign affairs are expected to be formulated this year, with the aim to further strengthen construction of China's legal framework regarding international matters, said an official from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

Shi Chunfeng, spokesman for the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said on Friday that the legislative agenda for 2026 highlights the drafting of a cross-border anti-corruption law and a law on protecting the rights of overseas Chinese, with a focus on enhancing foreign-related provisions in relevant current laws.

Shi said that according to the agenda soon to be made public, the NPC Standing Committee plans to continue reviewing 15 legislative bills this year and begin the initial consideration of another 19 others. Additionally, there are a few projects slated for preliminary deliberation.

While enhancing the substance and refining the legal framework for foreign-related matters, the lawmakers will also focus on drafting and revising laws in the financial, environmental and public welfare sectors, he said.

"This year, we will place greater emphasis on drafting a financial law and a financial stability law, with efforts to amend the Banking Regulation Law and the People's Bank of China Law. The legal system for environmental conservation will be improved by formulating a law on regulating Antarctic activities and revising laws on water and renewable energy," he said.

To strengthen the systems that ensure and foster public well-being, the NPC Standing Committee will also draft new laws on social assistance, medical security, childcare services, national fire and rescue personnel, and industrial workforce development, he said, adding that a few existing laws such as the Teachers Law, the Road Traffic Safety Law, and the Urban Real Estate Administration Law are planned to be amended to help improve people's lives.

On Friday, he also unveiled some draft laws and revisions ready to be reviewed by the NPC Standing Committee during its upcoming session in Beijing from Monday to Thursday.

"For example, the draft revision to the Prison Law calls for intensified efforts to enhance psychological rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and support their reintegration into society, requiring prosecutors to strengthen their oversight of sentence execution outside prison, sentence reductions and parole," Shi said.

The draft amendment would also include new content on prison staff conduct, addressing the use of restraining devices and weapons, as well as protocols for meetings between inmates and their lawyers and family members, he added.

During the session, draft revisions to the Law on State-owned Assets of Enterprises, the Agriculture Law, the National Defense Mobilization Law and the Water Law are scheduled to be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for initial review. Draft laws on social assistance, healthcare security, farmland protection and quality improvement will also be deliberated further, Shi said.