The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, kicked off a three-day bimonthly session on Tuesday to deliberate several bills, including a draft amendment to the country's consumer rights law.
Presided over by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, the first plenary meeting of the session was held Tuesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.
According to the meeting's agenda, lawmakers at the session will mull changes to the law on the protection of consumer rights and interests for the first time, as well as continue their deliberation on a draft law on tourism.
The draft amendment to the consumer rights law marks the first time changes have been considered since it took effect 20 years ago.
"Consumption patterns, structure and concepts in China have undergone great changes over the past two decades, and new problems have emerged in the field of consumer rights protection," said Li Shishi, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, while explaining the draft to lawmakers at the meeting.
With the country's e-commerce market expanding at full speed, the draft amendment includes provisions to protect online shoppers' rights and interests.
After previous readings in August and December, the current version of the draft law on tourism includes procedures and rules to curb price hikes on tickets for scenic spots amid the country's tourism boom.
Lawmakers will also continue reading a draft of the special equipment safety law.
A report on the State Council's progress in building the ecological compensation mechanism and a report submitted by the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee on cleaning up judicial interpretation, will be examined at the meeting, according to the agenda.
Those present at the meeting will also deliberate a draft list of the chairperson, vice chairpersons and members of the Credentials Committee of the NPC Standing Committee.
Tuesday's meeting was attended by 154 members of the NPC Standing Committee.
