Jiang Enzhu, spokesman of the first session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC), said that a specific legislative agenda will be worked out by the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC, which is expected to be elected on March 15.

Jiang made the remarks at the first press conference held by the newly elected legislature Tuesday in Beijing.

The first session of the 10th NPC opens today in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People. The top legislature holds one session every year, but the NPC Standing Committee works all year round.

"A comprehensive legal system with Chinese characteristics has initially taken shape in the country with laws governing almost every aspect of China's political, economic and social life," Jiang said.

Such a legal system comprises constitutional, civil and commercial, administrative, economic, social, criminal and proceeding legislation, all complying with the basic tenets of the Constitution, Jiang said.

The Ninth NPC Standing Committee has adopted 113 laws and legal explanations. The nation has set a goal of completing its legal system by 2010.

Jiang said the 10th NPC and its Standing Committee will continue reviewing the draft supervision law and the draft civil code, which have undergone preliminary checks by the Ninth NPC Standing Committee.

The spokesman said the country still needs to improve legislation to enhance protection of private property, although the Constitution, the General Principle of the Civil Law, the Criminal Code and the Corporation Law have already made clear that all types of ownership should receive equal protection.

When asked if the NPC will amend the Constitution, Jiang said the 10th NPC has not received any such motions so far.

But he said necessary constitutional amendments will be made in the future to make it better suit the country's situation.

Turning to supervisory work, Jiang said the Ninth NPC had enhanced budget review and supervision of the administration's economic work.

The NPC Budgetary Work Committee was established at the end of 1998, the first year of the Ninth NPC's five-year tenure, to assist the NPC Financial and Economic Committee to review the central budget and the final accounts as well as oversee the implementation of the central budget.

The NPC Standing Committee passed a decision on enhancing supervision of the central budget in 1999 to make the nation's overall spending plan more manageable, clear up random expenditure through enhanced supervision and curb corruption.

He said younger and more professional members will join the NPC Standing Committee to improve the personnel structure of the top legislative body.

On the institutional reform of the State Council, a major item on this year's NPC agenda, Jiang said the key to the reform lies in the shift of government functions towards enhanced macroeconomic control, market supervision, social management and better public service.

Jiang said the nation will keep on its steady economic development to raise the living standard of its people in order to narrow the income gap.

This gap will also be eroded by seeking balanced regional development, creating more jobs and tackling income disparity with taxation policy adjustment.

In another development, the spokesman said the central government's policy on the Taiwan question remains unchanged.

"Our basic policy and principle on the Taiwan question that the country should be unified peacefully under the 'one country, two systems' principle have been clear-cut and consistent," Jiang said.

(China Daily March 5, 2003)