Climate change resolution, armed police law passed by top legislature
- Source: Global Times
- [23:58 August 27 2009]
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The 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) is held in Beijing, China, Aug. 27, 2009. The 10th session was closed on Thursday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)
China's top legislature approved yesterday afternoon a resolution on climate change, ahead of an international conference in December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The resolution of “actively dealing with climate change” was endorsed by lawmakers at the closing meeting of a four-day session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature.
It will accelerate the country's attempts to tackle the pressing challenge of global warming and signals a proactive role for China in negotiating possible solutions to curtailing emissions.
The resolution says efforts should be made to improve laws on environmental protection and climate change, such as the Energy Conservation Law, Renewable Energy Law, Circular Economy Promotion Law, Cleaner Production Promotion Law, Forest Law and Grassland Law.
The session also passed the country's first law on armed police giving them new duties and the statutory authority to respond to riots, terrorist attacks and other emergencies.
The new law mandates the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF) to deal with civil unrest, serious violent crimes, terrorism and other emergencies.
It allows armed police force to patrol China's municipal, provincial and autonomous regional capitals with weapons during periods of unrest, and also take responsibility for the security of major transport lines and important public facilities.
Without defining the situation when such activities would be authorized, the new law says the PAPF will also shoulder the responsibility of assisting other law enforcement forces in arrest, pursuit and escort missions.
The PAPF – with officers and men enlisted from China's police force – was founded in 1982 as an internal security force with tasks ranging from protecting important political figures to urban firefighting.
Under the command of the Central Military Commission and the State Council, China's Cabinet, the armed police played a major role in quelling riots in Lhasa on March 14 last year and in Urumqi on July 5.
Xinhua
