Top legislature adopts laws on armed police, climate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-28 07:07

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the China's National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC in Beijing, China, Aug. 27, 2009. The 10th session was closed on Thursday in Beijing. [Xinhua]

BEIJING: China's top legislature concluded its four-day, bimonthly session Thursday, after approving the country's first armed police law and climate change resolution.

Top legislator Wu Bangguo told the closing meeting of the 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) that the new armed police law clarified the nature, command mechanism, responsibilities, duties and rights of the paramilitary force.

"It offers solid legal backing for the armed police to complete the country's security tasks, maintain social stability and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of citizens and organizations," Wu said.

Climate change has been an issue of concern among lawmakers.

Wu said the newly-approved resolution was an "important achievement" and a significant measure taken by the top legislature to deal with the global challenge.

Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the resolution praised the government's work on climate change, emphasized the importance of the issue, clarified guidelines, basic policies, measures as well as China's stance.

He said lawmakers proposed many suggestions on a climate change report, presented by the State Council (Cabinet), and a draft of the resolution.

Lawmakers agreed climate change was a challenge faced by all humankind and needed international cooperation.

Wu said China "as a responsible nation" had been focusing on the issue, set energy efficiency and environmental protection as basic state policies and achieving sustainable development as national strategies.

He said the country had made laws and regulations to climate change and set energy saving and emissions reductions as binding targets in the state's medium and long-term development plan.

The country had "actively participated international cooperation on climate change and made contributions in mitigating and adapting to climate change."

He said the NPC Standing Committee "actively" made and improved laws related to the issue, listened to work reports regularly and conducted law enforcement inspections on resources and environment, which offered great support to the work of the government.

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