China's lawmakers have ratified a convention on protecting cultural diversity at the 25th session of the 10th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) which closed in Beijing on Friday.

The convention aims to protect and promote cultural diversity by increasing the ability of developing countries in this regard through dialogue and international cooperation.

It also reiterates the rights of a state to take measures to protect the cultural diversity within its borders.
 
This convention, along with the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Culture Heritage and the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, forms the international system of law in protecting world heritage and cultural diversity.

The ratification would help China protect its culture, promote the development of a cultural industry and reverse an imbalance in cultural trade, said Culture Minister Sun Jiazheng.

Gao Jianping, a research fellow from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the government should invite experts to explain the convention to the general public and brief them on the background to it. This would assist raise awareness of the issues involved. 

The convention was passed at the 33rd session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in October 2005 and will come into effect three months after 30 countries ratify it.

As 35 countries had already ratified the convention by December 18 it'll take effect on March 18, 2007.

Also on Friday members of the Tenth NPC Standing Committee decided that the fifth full session of the Tenth NPC of China will convene on March 5 next year.

The NPC Standing Committee members also adopted resolutions to submit the drafts of the corporate tax and property laws to the fifth full session of the national legislature for deliberation.

The Standing Committee also proposed other agenda items for the NPC annual session including discussion of the government work report, debating and approving a report on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan for 2006 and the national economic and social development program for 2007.

Other issues include examining and approving reports on the implementation of the central and local budgets for 2006 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2007. There's also deliberation of work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

The agenda of the full session includes discussing the draft resolution on deputy quotas and election issues of the 11th NPC and discussion on the draft methods of electing 11th NPC deputies in Hong Kong and Macao.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)