Top legislature reviews report on marine protection

China's top legislature on Monday convened a plenary meeting to hear reports on marine environment protection and handling of bills and suggestions.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, attended the plenary meeting held during the ongoing bimonthly session of the NPC Standing Committee.

The lawmakers heard a report on the enforcement of the marine environmental protection law, which was based on an inspection conducted in September and October this year.

The report called for more efforts to protect the marine environment, including further regulating pollution sources on the land, stepping up restoration of marine ecology, preventing ecological disasters and accidents in the sea, and improving laws and regulations concerning marine protection.

Multiple reports were submitted on the handling of bills and suggestions made by NPC deputies.

During the first session of the 13th NPC in March, deputies submitted 7,139 suggestions, all of which have been handled, the reports said, adding that replies to all suggestions have been sent to deputies, and 75.8 percent of the suggestions have been solved or will be solved.

In 2018, a total of 1,238 regulatory documents were sent to the NPC Standing Committee to be reviewed if they were consistent with higher-level laws, said a report made by Shen Chunyao, director of the legislative work committee of NPC Standing Committee.

The work on reviewing laws and regulations, including laws and regulations concerning ecology and environment, will be strengthened in the future, Shen said.