Slight Increase in Motions at This Year's Sessions

The fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

A total of 487 motions raised by deputies have been handed in to the fifth session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, as of noon on Tuesday, the deadline for motions. This is 14 more than last year.

Among them, 474 are related to the making and amending of laws, including those related to national development strategies and livelihoods, Guo Zhenhua, head of the group responsible for handling motions at the session's secretariat, said on Wednesday.

Some motions call on the top legislative body to formulate laws on food security and emergency public health responses, while others tackle legislation of the digital economy, big data and social credit.

"These motions closely follow the decisions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and national strategies, and are related to improvements to important laws urgently needed for governance," he said.

Meanwhile, a number of deputies submitted legislative opinions on promoting livelihoods, including drafting laws on preschool education, anti-fraud and social aid, as well as revising laws on vocational education and the protection of women's rights.

"These motions mean that the deputies want us to respond to public concerns and meet the public's demands with legislation," he said.

Additionally, motions have also been submitted covering lawmaking and revisions to other areas like antimonopoly and commercial bankruptcy laws, he added.

Beside formal motions, the secretariat received some 8,000 suggestions, mainly concerning rural vitalization, the fight against the trafficking of women and children and the improvement of medical services.

Guo said that both motions and suggestions will be reviewed and handled, with better communication with the deputies to ensure their voices are heard.