China's top legislature schedules standing committee session for late April

BEIJING -- China's top legislature will hold a standing committee session from April 27 to 30 in Beijing, during which lawmakers will continue to work on draft revisions to the Prison Law and begin reviewing revisions to several other laws.

During the session, draft revisions to the Law on State-Owned Assets of Enterprises, the Agriculture Law, the National Defense Mobilization Law, and the Water Law will be submitted for initial reviews, according to a proposed agenda decided on Monday.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

Lawmakers attending the NPC Standing Committee session will also continue to deliberate on a draft law on social assistance, a draft law on healthcare security, and a draft law on farmland protection and quality improvement.

Reports concerning environmental protection, State-owned assets management, and lawmakers' qualifications, as well as proposals regarding appointments or removals, will also be reviewed at the session.

The NPC Standing Committee's 2026 work priorities as well as its plans for legislative, oversight and deputies-related work, among others, were adopted at Monday's meeting.