CHINA plans to develop national legislation to fight corruption, top legislator Zhang Dejiang said yesterday.

    The top legislature is mulling imposing harsher punishment on those committing crimes of embezzlement and bribery, said Zhang, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, while delivering a work report at the annual session of the top legislature.

    Criteria for imposing penalties on criminals found guilty of corruption and bribes would be modified. Heavier penalties will be imposed on those offering bribes, according to a draft amendment to the Criminal Law submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for a first reading in October last year.

    The plan for making an anti-corruption law is part of the NPC’s efforts to advance legislation in key areas to promote economic and social development.

    All loopholes must be closed in electing deputies to people’s congresses to prevent such frauds as the one found in Hengyang City in 2013, Zhang said.

    Investigation showed that 56 lawmakers from Hengyang City in Hunan Province bribed 518 fellow municipal lawmakers and 68 staff to be elected to the provincial people’s congress.

    The fraud is record-making in terms of the number of people and the quantities of money, which exceeded 110 million yuan (US$18 million).

    The country will also advance legislation concerning cultural, educational and ecological issues, Zhang said.

    Also included in the legislation plan are a national security law, an anti-terrorism law, a law on the management of international NGOs in China, and a cyber-security law, Zhang said.

    (Xinhua)

    (Special reports on Page 2 and 3)