Deepening reform to improve China's legal system: senior legislator

BEIJING -- A senior legislator has emphasized the importance of deepening reforms in legislation and elevating reform achievements into law in a timely manner.

In an interview with Xinhua, Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, elaborated on the reform measures and tasks related to legislation outlined in a key resolution recently adopted by the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee.

The resolution has pledged efforts to improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics centered on the Constitution.

Shen said that the Constitution embodies the common will and aspiration of the CPC and the people and is the highest expression of state will, stressing that only by upholding its status as the fundamental law of the nation can we ensure the unity of the country's legal system and government decrees.

Through reforms in legislation, a complete legal guarantee should be established for the implementation of the Constitution, so that all legislation is in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, reflects the authority of the Constitution, and ensures the implementation of the Constitution, Shen said.

In addition, efforts will be made to improve both the constitutional review system and the record and review system, according to Shen.

To enhance coordination in the enacting, revision, abolition, interpretation and codification of laws, China will promote the construction of fundamental, comprehensive and leading legal systems, and make legislation more systematic, integrated and coordinated, he said.

Legislation will be bolstered in key areas, as laws to promote the private sector, ethnic unity and progress, and to counter transnational corruption will be formulated, Shen said, adding that legal framework construction in the financial industry will be pushed forward, while a code on the ecological environment will also be formulated.

Legislation in emerging areas such as national security, technological innovation, public health and biosafety will be strengthened, according to Shen.

The development of legal frameworks for new quality productive forces, the digital economy, low-altitude economy, reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, artificial intelligence and big data will be accelerated.

Efforts will be made to coordinate domestic and foreign-related legal systems, further expand opening up, and create a market-oriented, law-based, and world-class business environment, Shen said.

Concerning legislation involving foreign-related areas, Shen stressed developing a system of laws for extraterritorial application to equip the country with legal means when engaging in international affairs.