China Daily:  

As we know, legislation is an important task of the NPC. What has the NPC Standing Committee done over the past decade to promote sound, democratic, and law-based legislation?

Song Rui:

The CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping highly value and have repeatedly stressed the further advancing of the sound, democratic, and law-based legislation. This is also the foundation of and key to doing a good job in NPC's legislative work and improving the quality of legislative work. The core of sound legislation is to respect and reflect objective laws. For example, relying on the collection and demonstration of legislative projects, legislative plans have been formulated and implemented in a scientific way. Following the rules of legislative activities, we have improved legislative techniques. And third-party assessments have been introduced for important and more controversial legislative matters. As for democratic legislation, it mainly adheres to benefiting the people and relying on the people. We have implemented "open-door legislation" through various channels, extensively listened to opinions and suggestions from the people and all sectors of society, and gathered consensus and wisdom from all aspects. As for law-based legislation, we have enacted legislation in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the Constitution and other laws, strictly prevented and corrected violations of the Constitution and other laws, ensured that the legislative activities follow the rules, and safeguarded the unified authority and dignity of the rule of law.

In aiming for sound, democratic, and law-based legislation, a crucial task in recent years has been to give play to the leading role of the NPC in legislative work. The precondition has been to uphold the centralized and unified leadership of the Party over legislative work. We should improve legislative work patterns to ensure that legislative work is under the leadership of the Party Committee, guided by the NPC, and supported by the government, and has participation from all sides, bringing together the synergy of all aspects of legislative work. Specifically, the NPC has played a leading role mainly in the following aspects: First, formulating legislative plans. The NPC have made arrangements for legislative projects in a coordinated way and ensured the legislative work is well planned and implemented in a scientific way. Second, the special committees and working committees of the NPC have taken the lead and drafted important laws that are comprehensive, fundamental, and affect the overall picture. At the same time, for laws drafted by relevant departments, we need to be involved in advance, strengthen organization and coordination, and supervise and urge relevant departments to submit drafts for deliberation in accordance with plans. And we also need to coordinate and resolve major legislative issues and differences among departments and sectors. Third, we give play to the NPC's role as a gatekeeper for deliberation. We need to promote democracy, brainstorm ideas, and build consensus on legislation, especially for preventing departmental interests and local protectionism. Fourth, we need to give play to the important role of the NPC in expressing, balancing, and coordinating social interests. The NPC is the organ of state power. It has always exercised the power of the state on the behalf of the interests and the will of the people. Therefore, we need to safeguard the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people while taking into account the legitimate rights and interests of special groups in society. Thank you.