Top legislature concludes standing committee session

The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 13th session in Beijing on Wednesday.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt a law on value-added tax, a decision on amending the Supervision Law, and a revised Science and Technology Popularization Law.

They adopted a decision on removing Wang Guanghua from the post of minister of natural resources and appointing Guan Zhi'ou to the position.

The meeting decided to submit a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at All Levels to the third session of the 14th NPC for further deliberation, and entrusted Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, to make explanatory remarks to the NPC session.

The meeting adopted a decision on convening the third session of the 14th NPC. According to the decision, the third session of the 14th NPC will open on March 5, 2025.

Lawmakers ratified an extradition treaty between China and Zimbabwe and another one between China and Suriname.

They voted to adopt the name list of the members of the sixth-term Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee of the NPC Standing Committee.

They also adopted a deputy qualification report and personnel-related bills.

After the closing meeting, Zhao presided over a lecture for lawmakers.

On the same day in Beijing, an oath-taking ceremony was held by the 14th NPC Standing Committee to pledge allegiance to the Constitution.

Top legislature concludes standing committee session

China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) invested 2 trillion yuan (about 278.26 billion U.S. dollars) in strategic emerging industries from January to November, a year-on-year increase of 18.7 percent, according to official data released on Tuesday.

Investment in emerging industries accounted for more than 40 percent of central SOEs' total investment for the first time, according to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC).

During the period, central SOEs achieved an added value of 9.3 trillion yuan. Their annualized total labor productivity rate increased 3 percent year on year, and spending on research and development was 2.6 percent during the period, up 0.1 percentage point year on year.

"The SASAC under the State Council and central SOEs have intensified efforts to implement key reform tasks. By the end of November, all the major tasks had seen more than 70 percent of them completed on average," said SASAC Chairman Zhang Yuzhuo at a meeting of the heads of central SOEs held from Monday to Tuesday.

In 2025, central SOEs will focus on enhancing their core functions and improving their core competitiveness by deepening reform, strengthening innovation and optimizing structures, the commission said.

Central SOEs invest 2 trln yuan in emerging industries in Jan-Nov