Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of a bimonthly session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, closed its bimonthly session Saturday, adopting the law on cryptography and appointing a new minister.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential decrees to release the law and the appointment. Li Jiheng was appointed the minister of Civil Affairs.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting attended by 168 committee members.

Noting the cryptography law is a comprehensive and fundamental law in the field, Li stressed stringent enforcement of the law to safeguard national security and public interests in accordance with the law.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers also passed decisions on clarifying the National Supervisory Commission's power to formulate supervisory regulations, adjusting the implementation of laws to further cut red tape in pilot free trade zones, as well as authorizing the jurisdiction of Macao's port zone at Hengqin port and extended areas to the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Legislators also approved reports on the handling of NPC deputies' bills during the March session. Li said that putting forward bills is an important part of deputies' performance of their duties in accordance with the law.

Li called on NPC to shoulder the responsibility and mission of promoting the building of the state system and legal institutions in the new era.

After the session concluded, Li presided over a lecture on the development of big data.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the closing meeting of a bimonthly session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)