BEIJING -- Legislation on China's civil code has formally begun. Through the code, China hopes to establish a country under the rule of law with better protection for civil rights.

During the top legislature's bi-monthly session this week, senior lawmakers reviewed the civil code's draft general rules, which were submitted for a first reading.

This week's review marked the formal beginning of the legislative process for the civil code, which is a collection of laws designed to cover private law.

According to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, there are two steps needed to codify the laws. The first is to legislate the general rules, and the second is to integrate separate existing civil laws into a code, which is expected to be enacted in 2020.

It is important for China to legislate the civil code as part of the country's socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics, said Yin Zhongqing, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, when deliberating the draft in a group discussion.

In 2011, China announced that a "socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics" had been established on schedule, covering every area of economic, political, cultural, social and ecological development.