Other bills under consideration

Anti-corruption

The top legislature on Tuesday heard a draft bill extending a nationwide pilot program to prevent corruption.

Li Jianguo, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, explained the draft a plenary session, which was presided over by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee.

By the end of this year or early 2018, supervisory commissions will be set up by people’s congresses at provincial, city and county levels across the country, to ensure that “all public servants exercising public power” are subject to supervision, according to a plan circulated by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Sunday.

In January, pilot reforms were launched in Beijing and in Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces.

E-commerce

Submitted for its second reading on Tuesday, the draft further clarifies the liabilities of e-commerce operators and punishments for infringement of consumer rights. The bill classifies e-commerce operators into three entities: “those doing business on their own websites; e-commerce platform operators; and stores on e-commerce platforms”.

Under the draft, e-commerce operators would be registered with the industry and commerce administrations, except for those that sell homegrown farm produce or handmade products, and others who by law do not need to be registered.

Operators should not infringe consumers’ rights by posting false advertising, transaction information or user comments.

They should deliver products and services as promised and bear the risks and liabilities of transportation.

Public libraries

The draft was submitted to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee for a second reading at the bimonthly session, which runs until Saturday.

The draft says modern technology should be integrated into public libraries, with more digital content and networks, to deliver better services to the public.

An item on ancient books was added, asking public libraries to strengthen the protection of ancient books, and to publicize the books via exhibitions, lectures and reproductions to spread traditional Chinese culture.