This photo shows the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, started its seventh session Monday to review multiple draft laws and law revisions.

The session's agenda includes reviewing a draft revision to the Organic Law of the State Council, a draft revision to the Company Law, a draft amendment to the Charity Law, a draft food security law, a draft amendment to the Criminal Law, a draft emergency response management law, and a draft law on rural collective economic organizations.

The draft law on strengthening food security focuses on refining the mechanism for ensuring the income of grain growers and was submitted to the session for the third review

Lawmakers will also review a draft amendment to the Law on Supervision by the Standing Committees of the People's Congresses at All Levels, a draft revision to the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, and a draft revision to the Mineral Resources Law, among other bills.

Food security

The draft law on strengthening food security focuses on refining the mechanism for ensuring the income of grain growers and was submitted to the session for the third review.

The latest version of the draft, comprising 74 articles in 11 chapters, outlines measures to boost agricultural efficiency and increase the income of grain growers. Additional provisions aimed at raising the level of social services provided to them are also included in the draft.

ALSO READ: NPC concludes review of suggestions made this year

The state should implement a compensation system for farmland occupation and strictly restrict all types of farmland occupation, according to the draft.

The draft also adds provisions for building a diversified food supply system to meet people's demand for rich, diverse and nutritious food. It also requires promoting the use of advanced technology and equipment, as well as improving the ability to provide sci-tech support to the food industry.

Highlighting food quality, the draft stipulates that food processing operators should implement relevant national standards, take full responsibility for the quality and security of the food they process, and accept supervision.

Emergency response

Chinese lawmakers are also reviewing the draft law aimed at establishing and improving a national emergency early-warning release platform.

According to the draftlaw, the issuance of a warning should include details such as the warning's type, class, content, starting time, potential scope of impacts, response measures, as well as the entity releasing the warning and the time of issuance.

Broadcasters, television stations, the press, internet service providers and telecom operators should establish expedited channels for disseminating early-warning information in accordance with relevant national regulations, the draft stated.

ALSO READ: NPC accepts suggestions from public

Special personnel should be designated to assume the responsibility of receiving and communicating early-warning information at public venues and other crowded areas, according to the draft.

Regarding emergencies involving two or more administrative regions, the draft specifies that the people's governments superior to the respective administrative regions shall assume responsibility for addressing such emergencies. The draft also introduces provisions aimed at encouraging and supporting social sectors to participate in emergency response efforts in areas such as transportation and risk insurance for huge disasters.