West China Improves Legal System for Greater Development
2004-03-09 13:04
Governments in west China provinces,
autonomous regions
and municipality are working to improve the legal system
in the area, hoping to facilitate healthy development
there and encourage investment from home and abroad.
A batch of existing rules and regulations that are out
of sync with development of the market economy have been
annulled by the governments in the west.
This is a joint move made by the governments of 10
provinces, autonomous regions and municipality in
western China, including Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai,
Ningxia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Chongqing
and Tibet.
At a recent national conference, Chinese law experts
said that only a sound legal environment can help
establish a democratic and scientific decision-making
system, prevent construction of redundant projects, and
improve the ecological environment in western areas.
Chinese law experts are now researching ways to ensure a
legal guarantee for the sustainable development strategy
in west China, whose area and population accounts for 57
percent and 23 percent of the country's total
respectively.
Professor Cheng Liaoyuan, a member of the research team,
said that the plan is to integrate the rule of law with
sustainable development and the strategy of developing
west China.
The government of Chongqing Municipality announced the
annulment of over 200 local rules and regulations in
early June. The People's Congress of Chongqing
Municipality is also reviewing more than 100 rules and
regulations formulated since 1997 when it became a
municipality enjoying provincial status in the country.
The outdated rules and regulations and those which do
not tally with the strategy of developing west China
should be rescinded or revised, an official from the
Chongqing Municipal People's Congress said.
Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, as well as Guiyang, the
provincial capital of Guizhou, and Chengdu, the
provincial capital of Sichuan, have also abolished some
regulations and rules or made revisions of others.
These are the practical measures taken by the local
governments as they attempt to improve the legal system
in the west while upgrading their infrastructure
facilities, law expert Yin Wanbang said.
The provinces, autonomous regions and municipality in
western China will also strengthen law making and law
enforcement while perfecting the legal system.
The Municipal People's Congress of Chongqing will work
out a series of rules and regulations on improving the
investment environment this year to ensure the interests
of investors, including an ordinance on encouraging
foreign investment and regulations on management of the
Chongqing Economic and Technological Development Zone.
The Chinese government has always encouraged the
formation of a sound legal system in the process of the
country's economic and social development.
Some foreign businesspeople also said that they are
afraid of doing business in the traditional Chinese
style of depending on high-powered connections, or
"guanxi," because this will increase their investment
cost.
A good investment environment based on transparent rules
and regulations will be more favorable for fair
competition, they said. However, law experts said that
the development of the west should not mimic the old
groping ways that took place in the east during the
early stage of the country's reform and opening up
drive.
The anticipated upsurge of the western area against the
backdrop of China's expected WTO entry and a maturing
market economy needs the guarantee of a legal system,
experts said. "The country's 22-year-old reform has
basically established the rules of the game for China's
social and economic development," said Prof. Zhuo Zeyuan
at the Southwest China University of Political Science
and Law.
The starting point for the development of the west
should be high, Zhuo added. The area's development
scheme and implementation measures must conform to those
of the World Trade Organization and should leave more
room for further development.
He stressed that the development of the west should be
in step with the construction of the legal system.
Chinese law experts are now researching a legal security
system and will offer suggestions for the strategic
development of the west
and municipality are working to improve the legal system
in the area, hoping to facilitate healthy development
there and encourage investment from home and abroad.
A batch of existing rules and regulations that are out
of sync with development of the market economy have been
annulled by the governments in the west.
This is a joint move made by the governments of 10
provinces, autonomous regions and municipality in
western China, including Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai,
Ningxia, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Chongqing
and Tibet.
At a recent national conference, Chinese law experts
said that only a sound legal environment can help
establish a democratic and scientific decision-making
system, prevent construction of redundant projects, and
improve the ecological environment in western areas.
Chinese law experts are now researching ways to ensure a
legal guarantee for the sustainable development strategy
in west China, whose area and population accounts for 57
percent and 23 percent of the country's total
respectively.
Professor Cheng Liaoyuan, a member of the research team,
said that the plan is to integrate the rule of law with
sustainable development and the strategy of developing
west China.
The government of Chongqing Municipality announced the
annulment of over 200 local rules and regulations in
early June. The People's Congress of Chongqing
Municipality is also reviewing more than 100 rules and
regulations formulated since 1997 when it became a
municipality enjoying provincial status in the country.
The outdated rules and regulations and those which do
not tally with the strategy of developing west China
should be rescinded or revised, an official from the
Chongqing Municipal People's Congress said.
Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, as well as Guiyang, the
provincial capital of Guizhou, and Chengdu, the
provincial capital of Sichuan, have also abolished some
regulations and rules or made revisions of others.
These are the practical measures taken by the local
governments as they attempt to improve the legal system
in the west while upgrading their infrastructure
facilities, law expert Yin Wanbang said.
The provinces, autonomous regions and municipality in
western China will also strengthen law making and law
enforcement while perfecting the legal system.
The Municipal People's Congress of Chongqing will work
out a series of rules and regulations on improving the
investment environment this year to ensure the interests
of investors, including an ordinance on encouraging
foreign investment and regulations on management of the
Chongqing Economic and Technological Development Zone.
The Chinese government has always encouraged the
formation of a sound legal system in the process of the
country's economic and social development.
Some foreign businesspeople also said that they are
afraid of doing business in the traditional Chinese
style of depending on high-powered connections, or
"guanxi," because this will increase their investment
cost.
A good investment environment based on transparent rules
and regulations will be more favorable for fair
competition, they said. However, law experts said that
the development of the west should not mimic the old
groping ways that took place in the east during the
early stage of the country's reform and opening up
drive.
The anticipated upsurge of the western area against the
backdrop of China's expected WTO entry and a maturing
market economy needs the guarantee of a legal system,
experts said. "The country's 22-year-old reform has
basically established the rules of the game for China's
social and economic development," said Prof. Zhuo Zeyuan
at the Southwest China University of Political Science
and Law.
The starting point for the development of the west
should be high, Zhuo added. The area's development
scheme and implementation measures must conform to those
of the World Trade Organization and should leave more
room for further development.
He stressed that the development of the west should be
in step with the construction of the legal system.
Chinese law experts are now researching a legal security
system and will offer suggestions for the strategic
development of the west