国内英语资讯:China Focus: Chinas top legislature opens bimonthly session_时事

国内英语资讯:China Focus: Chinas top legislature opens bimonthly session

BEIJING, June 22 -- China's top legislature started its bimonthly session Thursday, with lawmakers scheduled to deliberate on draft laws concerning national intelligence and the national anthem, among others.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the opening meeting of the six-day session.

A law on national intelligence is needed to ensure the nation's security interests are met, according to the NPC Law Committee.

Lawmakers also began reviewing a draft amendment on water pollution, which included provisions on the safety of drinking water.

The draft amendment to the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law suggests that the river-chief system should be rolled out across the provincial, city, county and township levels, with leading officials assigned the responsibility of addressing water pollution.

Luo Qingquan from the NPC Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee explained the draft law on soil pollution during the session.

There will be national standards to minimize soil pollution risk. A network of monitoring stations will be established with data and other information collected and shared among environmental, agricultural, housing, forestry, health and land resource authorities, according to the draft.

According to the draft law on the national anthem, which was submitted to the Standing Committee of NPC for its first reading, the song should not be performed at funerals or other "improper events" nor should it be used in advertisements or as background music at public places.