A batch of newly passed laws and regulations, including laws on the promotion of non-public educational institutions and on environmental impact assessment took effect Monday and are expected to have a long-lasting impact on people's lives.

The law on the promotion of non-public educational institutions stipulates that such institutions serve the public welfare and thus enjoy the same legal status as public institutions.

A law on environmental impact assessment is intended to eliminate the side effects of construction projects and promote the coordinated development among the economy, society and environment as a whole.

A regulation on Sino-foreign co-operation in running schools encourages overseas high-quality educational sources to invest in vocational education and higher education in China.

The regulation on bank settlement accounts in RMB, which brings the practices of Chinese banks closer to international standards, is aimed at better preparing them for competition with their Western rivals.

Other laws and regulations that took effect Monday also include regulations on property management, on coastal beacons, on administration of printed publications and on the administrative punishment of copyright violators, as well as 30 measures on residence registration, driving and passport applications.

(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2003)