Fellow Deputies,
At the Seventeenth National Party Congress convened in October of last year, some major questions were answered concerning the Party in this crucial stage of reform and opening up, such as what banner we should hold up, what path we should take, what our attitude should be and what our development goals should be as we continue to make our way forward. In addition, the content, essence and fundamental requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development were elucidated and the grand blueprint for accelerating socialist modernization in the new era was formulated. Finally, the direction we must take in continuing to promote the development of the causes of the Party and the state was clearly pointed out and new and higher requirements for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and successfully carrying out the work of the NPC under the new conditions were introduced.
The year 2008 is the first year for fully implementing the strategic arrangements made at the Seventeenth Congress as well as the first year for the Eleventh NPC and its Standing Committee to carry out their duties in accordance with the law. We will be marking the 30th anniversary of the reform and opening up policy and we will be hosting the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics as well. It is extremely important for us to do our work well this year. The Standing Committee must place thorough study and comprehensive implementation of the guiding principles set out at the Seventeenth Congress at the top of its agenda and become more conscientious and determined in holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keeping to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, upholding the system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and promoting balanced socialist economic, political, cultural and social development. We must uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, and constantly work to bring the work of the NPC up to a new level.
1. We need to waste no time in formulating laws that have an important role in the legal system and promptly revise laws and regulations that are not suitable for the current stage of economic and social development, first of all taking into consideration the basic situation in the country, putting people first and seeking truth from facts, with the goal of improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. We must urge the relevant authorities to formulate or revise supporting regulations for laws to ensure completion of the formation of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010. We must pass more social legislation, focusing on improving people's well being, continue to improve legislation related to economic, political and cultural affairs, work vigorously to make legislation more scientific and democratic, constantly improve the quality of legislation and give even more play to the standardizing, guiding and ensuring role of the law in the country's political and social life.
First, we must waste no time in working out a five-year legislation plan, convene conferences on legislative work as needed and make all necessary arrangements for legislative work.
Second, we plan to deliberate about 20 draft laws this year, formulate the Law on State-owned Assets, the Social Security Law, the Food Safety Law, the Circular Economy Law and the Law on Arbitration of Disputes Concerning Contracted Rural Land and revise the Electoral Law, the Organic Law of the NPC, and the Law on State Compensation.
Third, we must strengthen coordination and cooperation in legislative work, urge departments drafting laws to carry out careful research to solve major problems related to legislation and ensure that draft bills that are included in annual legislative plans are submitted for deliberation on schedule while still ensuring the quality of draft legislation.
Fourth, we must further expand the orderly participation of ordinary citizens in legislative work. For laws such as the Food Safety Law that are closely tied to the interests of the people, the draft laws should be publicly posted so that the opinions of all sides can be heard, particularly those of ordinary people. For laws such as the Social Security Law that involve complicated legal and technical issues, a wide range of opinions should be solicited and the issues involved carefully studied and discussed through debates and other means.