China's top legislature opens bimonthly session

 BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Monday started to review nine draft laws, law amendments² and revisions, including a new draft decision on Internet management.

At a bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing³ Committee that opened Monday morning, lawmakers were briefed with reports on draft revisions to the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly and the Law on Funds for Investment in Securities.

Presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, the session was attended by 142 members of the NPC Standing Committee, China's top legislature.

The lawmakers will deliberate amendments to the Land Administration Law, the Labor⁴ Contract Law and the Trademark⁵ Law during the session running from Dec. 24 to 28 in Beijing.

The draft amendment¹ to the Land Administration Law, submitted by the State Council, proposes raising compensation for farmers whose collectively-owned land is expropriated and suggests more strict rules to manage excessive land expropriations.

Farmers' protests over land expropriation have occurred in villages across the country in recent years, prompting calls for better protection of farmers' property rights.

In a report to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last month, Hu Jintao pressed for making reforms in the land expropriation system and increasing farmers' share of gains in land value.

This week, members of the top legislature will decide whether to approve a draft decision drawn⁶ up by the NPC Standing Committee to strengthen Internet information protection.

If the decision, which has the same legal effect as a law, is adopted, it will become China's second law on Internet management following the NPC Standing Committee's decision on Internet security maintenance which went into effect on Dec. 28, 2000.

They will also discuss a draft law on tourism and a draft decision of the NPC Standing Committee that would authorize⁷ a pilot program to allow Guangdong Province to adjust administrative⁸ examination and approval items.

The draft decision is the first of its kind to be made by China's top legislature in an effort to give local governments more power in administrative approvals and loosen government control in regulating private economic sectors⁹.

According to an agenda for the session released by the NPC Standing Committee, lawmakers will also deliberate a draft resolution on convening¹⁰ the first annual session of the 12th NPC early next year.

They will also discuss a proposal on candidates for the electoral committee of the People's Liberation Army, submitted by the Central Military Commission.

A State Council report on land administration and mineral resource exploitation, utilization¹¹ and protection will also be delivered to lawmakers for deliberation.

Also tabled for reading are the Supreme¹² People's Court's report on trials concerning intellectual property and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's report on civil administrative procuratorial work.

Reports on the implementation¹³ of the Agriculture Law and the Law on the Promotion¹⁴ of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises will also be discussed.

Lawmakers will be briefed with reports on the government's reactions to suggestions and criticism offered by delegates attending the fifth annual session of the 11th NPC.

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 convening   

召开( convene的现在分词 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 民10:7但招聚会众的时候、们要吹号、不要吹出大声。
• We warmly welcome the convening of Asia-Europe meeting in London. 热烈欢迎亚欧会议在伦敦召开。

11 utilization   

n.利用，效用

参考例句：

• Computer has found an increasingly wide utilization in all fields.电子计算机已越来越广泛地在各个领域得到应用。
• Modern forms of agricultural utilization,have completely refuted this assumption.现代农业利用形式，完全驳倒了这种想象。

12 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

14 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。