The top legislature plans to improve laws in the cultural sector this year as the country throws unprecedented weight behind the development of culture.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will formulate a law on public libraries to promote the development of cultural undertakings, Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said on Friday.
Lawmakers will also improve the system of Internet-related laws to promote a healthy cyberspace culture, and to safeguard public interests and national information security, Wu said while making an NPC Standing Committee work report to the plenary session of the NPC.
The report lists "strengthening the system of cultural laws" as one of the major legislative tasks this year, which echoes the call of the country's central leadership to vigorously develop culture.
A plenary session of the Communist Party of China Central Committee endorsed a guideline in October to boost China's cultural influence internationally and provide the sector with more resources domestically.
The guideline said culture is a major factor in the nation's comprehensive competitiveness as well as the backbone of the country's economic and social development.
During the ongoing plenary sessions of the top legislature and political advisory body, cultural development has become a hot topic.
The Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy has formally submitted a motion calling for improving legislation in the cultural sector.
The motion said there are many blank areas in China's laws about culture, and some existing laws and regulations are out of date.
Dai Yuzhong, a member of the internal judicial affairs commission of the NPC, who is also a deputy, said paying more attention to cultural legislation evolves along with changes to the country's priorities and social trends.
He particularly mentioned regulating the Internet as a move in response to the rising popularity of the Web.
"Some places have piloted a real-name system on the use of weibo (Chinese for micro blog), an experience that could be used as a reference in other places to better manage and serve cyberspace," he said.
Dai also stressed the protection of personal privacy in legislation related to the Internet.
Song Yushui, deputy president of Beijing's Haidian district court, said it is high time to improve Internet-related laws. Song said many of Internet companies are located in the Haidian district, and the number of related cases received by her court has significantly risen in recent years.
"To clarify how to balance the protection of copyright owners and the use of new technologies and works, for example, is among the parts most in need of revision," she said.
Song said the lack of clear legal guidance has to some extent impeded judicial practice, such as how to help the development of video websites as well as protecting rights owners.
On Friday, while making the work report, top legislator Wu also said China should unwaveringly keep to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics.
"We need to thoroughly understand the intrinsic nature of China's system of people's congresses; confidently uphold our unique characteristics; be fully aware of the essential differences between this system and Western capitalist countries' systems of political power," Wu said.
"To manage China's affairs well, we need to stay grounded in its realities, rely on the strength of the Chinese people and follow a development path suited to China's conditions," he said.
The socialist system with Chinese characteristics, including the system of people's congresses, is the fundamental institutional guarantee for the development and progress of contemporary China, and "we must cherish it even more and adhere to it for a long time to come," he said.