BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Tuesday began deliberating a bill raised by the State Council, or China's Cabinet, to ratify an amendment to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Reporting to legislators at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), Ma Junsheng, director-general of the State Post Bureau, said ratifying the protocol is in line with the principles of China's law and national interests.
The amendment, officially known as the Eighth Additional Protocol, was adopted at the 24th UPU Congress held in Geneva in 2008 and will improve the process for non-member countries of the United Nations to join the UPU.
The protocol took effect on Jan. 1, 2010 and has been ratified by 22 countries as of the end of last year. The Chinese government signed the protocol with approval from the State Council.
Amendments to the UPU Constitution, the fundamental act containing the union's original rules, can be made only at congresses and are recorded in an additional protocol. China has ratified all the previous seven amendments made to the UPU Constitution.