Roundup: Top legislature starts bi-monthly session, mulling amnesty to certain criminals

China's top legislature started its bi-monthly session Monday to review a set of draft law amendments and bills, including an official pardon to prisoners who meet a certain criteria.

In the spirit of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, four categories of prisoners, including those who fought in China's war of resistance against the Japanese invasion and the civil war against the Kuomintang (KMT) army, may become eligible for amnesty.

Criminals who have been convicted of bribery or embezzlement, and who have been convicted of endangering national security, terrorism, organized gang crimes, or narcotics, and violent crimes such as homicide and rape are disqualified.

Monday's opening session was presided over by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

Legislators are also working on the country's first law specifically for domestic violence that highlights prevention and introduces habeas corpus.

A draft amendment to the Criminal Law submitted for reading proposed repealing the crime of sex with underage prostitutes and reclassifying it as rape, which would face a tougher punishment.

It also said seriously corrupt figures that have been given two-year suspended death sentences will face life imprisonment after the two years and provided tougher sentences for assault on police officers on duty.

A draft amendment to the Air Pollution Control Law under deliberation provided various measures to improve air quality, including raising gasoline standards, testing emissions of vehicles running in streets through means of remote sensing and other technologies.

Lawmakers also deliberated on a bill to amend several laws to ban examinees caught cheating from future tests and punish those facilitating cheating.

The country may remove a 75 percent loan-to-deposit ratio stipulation, according to a draft discussed during the session.

The ratio will instead be regarded as a liquidity-monitoring indicator, according to a draft amendment to China's Law on Commercial Banks.

The bill on revising the Law on Promoting the Transformation of Scientific and Technological Achievements was brought up for a second reading at the session, saying that inventors in academia who commercially exploit their work should be rewarded a minimum reward of 50 percent of their inventions' worth.

Lawmakers also began to mull a draft law requiring independence of asset evaluation industry associations from government regulators.

The draft law, submitted for its third reading at the session, said regulators should not have personnel or financial connections with industry associations, nor can they feed asset appraising agencies with business orders.

The top legislature is considering awarding medals to foreigners who have made important contributions to national development.

According to the draft, the president will be able to bestow the medals on foreigners who have "contributed to socialist construction with Chinese characteristics, promoted China's exchange and cooperation with the world, and helped maintain world peace."

The session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee will continue reviewing draft amendments to the criminal code as well as the laws on air pollution control, assets evaluation and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, according to the agenda.

During the six-day session, lawmakers will also deliberate on legislation on the establishment of a national system of honors, domestic violence, organization of local government, elections, education and commercial banks.

Lawmakers will decide whether to ratify the Maritime Labor Convention2006 and two criminal judicial assistance treaties between China and the United Kingdom and Belgium, respectively, proposed by China's cabinet.

In addition, legislators will review reports on national economic and social development, budget implementation, rural land contracting and the enforcement of the law on water pollution prevention and control. Endi