The 21st session of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee was held in Beijing

The 21st Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the afternoon of the 25th. Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the meeting. A total of 152 members of the Standing Committee attended, meeting the legal quorum. The meeting heard a report from Luo Yuan, Deputy Director of the National People’s Congress Constitution and Law Committee, on the revision of the Social Assistance Law draft. The second review draft of the bill improves the legislative purpose, further strengthens provisions on protecting personal privacy and personal information, includes individuals with genuine difficulties within the scope of minimum living security assistance, and makes specific provisions for service-based assistance. To further improve relevant systems and mechanisms, curb audit fraud, regulate financial audit order, and promote healthy development of the accounting industry, the State Council proposed a draft amendment to the Certified Public Accountants Law for review. At the request of the State Council, Minister of Finance Lan Fu’an provided an explanation. To standardize the management of national fire rescue personnel, safeguard their legal rights, strengthen supervision, promote proper performance of duties, and comprehensively advance the construction of the national comprehensive fire rescue team, the State Council proposed a draft law on national fire rescue personnel for review. At the request of the State Council, Vice Minister of Emergency Management Xu Jiaai provided an explanation. An important task of this Standing Committee meeting was to prepare for the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress. The meeting reviewed the draft work report of the Standing Committee, considered three proposals: the draft agenda for the Fourth Session of the 14th NPC, the draft list of the presidium and secretary-general, and the draft list of attending members, and reviewed the report on the work of legal cleanup and related legal and decision handling opinions. The meeting also heard a report from Yang Xiaochao, Chair of the NPC Standing Committee Qualification Review Committee, on the qualifications of individual deputies. The meeting also reviewed relevant appointment and removal cases. (Xinhua News Agency)