The National People's Congress is considering reducing the number of crimes punishable with the death penalty, an NPC official said yesterday.

An amendment to the Criminal Law has been included in the annual legislative agenda, Zang Tiewei, of the NPC Standing Committee's Commission for Legislative Affairs, told a press conference on the sidelines of the parliamentary session.

The legislature will study the possibility of reducing the number of crimes to which the death penalty is applicable, based on the needs of economic and social development and criminal deterrence, he said.

The last time China reduced the number of crimes punishable by death was in 2011.

At that time, the legislature adopted an amendment to the Criminal Law that removed 13 types of crime from the list.

It was the first reduction since the law took effect in 1979.

A key reform blueprint of the Communist Party of China published in November last year said the government will reduce the number of crimes subject to the death penalty "step by step."

Under current legislation, all death penalties are reviewed by the Supreme People's Court.

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