Ellen Zhang

(Adds details of proposed new laws, quotes throughout) By Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top legislators on Friday vowed to enact new laws to "modernise China's system and capacity for national security" and safeguard the country's sovereign interests. The roughly 170-member National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), gathering at the annual meeting of parliament in Beijing, pledged to enact legislation including an emergency management law and atomic energy law. They also said they would revise laws on national defence education and cybersecurity this year, according to a work report by the NPCSC's chairman Zhao Leji. The annual legislative plan had an increased focus on national security, in line with President Xi Jinping's growing focus on preventing internal and external threats in response to intensifying geopolitical competition. The separate Supreme People's Court work report also vowed to "apply the concept of overall national security" to its work this year. Other new legislation to be formulated this year includes a financial stability law and private sector promotion law, and the legislative body plans to revise existing laws on mineral resources, unfair competition, public bidding and civil aviation. The NPCSC report also took on an international focus, vowing to "strengthen legislation in areas involving foreign affairs and develop a system of laws for extraterritorial application." "We will use legal means to stand up for our country in the international arena and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests," Zhao said in the NPCSC report. The Hong Kong government published the draft of its national security bill, Article 23, on Friday but the NPCSC work report made no mention of developments in the Chinese-controlled financial centre. (Reporting by Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Lincoln Feast.)

61%

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

50%

Examples:

  • The article presents China's economic data in a positive light without acknowledging the challenges and uncertainties facing the country.
  • The article uses phrases like 'modernise', 'enact', and 'strengthen' to imply that China is taking proactive measures to improve its national security system, while ignoring potential resistance or criticism from other countries.

Conflicts of Interest

60%

Examples:

  • The article cites sources from Reuters and other media outlets without disclosing their affiliations or potential biases.
  • The article does not explicitly state any conflicts of interest, but it may have a bias towards the Chinese government's perspective and agenda.

Contradictions

80%

Examples:

  • The article contradicts itself by claiming that last year had a lower base effect due to COVID curbs, but also reporting an increase in industrial output and retail sales.
  • The article implies that the new laws will enhance China's national security system, while not providing any evidence or details of how these laws will be implemented or enforced.

Deceptions

70%

Examples:

  • The article omits any mention of the challenges facing China's retail sector, such as consumer demand, inflation, and competition.
  • The article uses deceptive practices by presenting China's economic data as positive when it is actually subject to significant fluctuations and external factors.

Recent Articles

China's Economy Rebounds Despite Property Market Slowdown, Oxford Economics Predicts 5% GDP Growth Rate This Year

China's Economy Rebounds Despite Property Market Slowdown, Oxford Economics Predicts 5% GDP Growth Rate This Year

Broke On: Monday, 18 March 2024 China's economy is showing signs of recovery after a slowdown in the property market. Industrial output and investment surpassed expectations for the first two months of 2024, with manufacturing and consumption gradually rebounding. However, Beijing's annual growth target may be impacted if the property market continues to drag.