Lawmakers yesterday started discussions on a draft law to set up ecology and environment of the country's offshore islands.
The draft sea islands protection law, the first of its kind in the country, was submitted to an ongoing session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for the first review.
It regulates exploitation of natural reserves on China's uninhabited islands.
The draft proposes that national and local governments should make plans to guide the protection and the development of inhabited and uninhabited islands.
All development projects on inhabited islands will be subjected to strict environmental impact assessments, according to the draft law.
Construction and tourism activities on uninhabited islands, which are owned by the State, will be prohibited unless they are officially approved.
The State Oceanic Administration and its branches would be responsible for inspecting work concerning island protection, according to the draft.
Lawmakers will continue discussing the law but won't vote on it when the ongoing legislative session ends on Saturday, as a law usually receives three reviews before being adopted in China.
China has nearly 7,000 islands bigger than 500 sq m in its roughly 3 million sq m sea areas. The country also has more than 10,000 smaller islands.
Chinese experts said many things must be done in addition to just passing the new law.
"China is still exploring how to protect its offshore islands," said Wang Hanling, a maritime affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
South Korea and Indonesia have passed similar laws in 2006 and 2007 respectively.
Questions:
1. What does the draft propose?
2. According to the draft, who would be responsible for inspecting work concerning island protection?
3. How many reviews a law usually receives before being adopted in China?
Answers:
1. The draft proposes that national and local governments should make plans to guide the protection and the development of inhabited and uninhabited islands.
2. The State Oceanic Administration and its branches.
3. Three.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Siberian-born Kristina Koveshnikova is a freelance journalist from New Zealand who has worked in print, television and film. After completing a BCS degree majoring in journalism, she won an Asia NZ Foundation/Pacific Media Centre award to work for China Daily website. Kristina previously did internships at ABC 7 News in Washington DC and TVNZ in New Zealand and has written for a number of publications, including The New Zealand Herald and East & Bays Courier.
