Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Central China's Hubei province on June 1 and 2, where he stressed the importance of high-quality legislation in promoting sustainable and healthy economic development.

During the survey, Li visited Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone, a residential community in Hanyang district and Wuhan University to learn about the need for legislation in emerging fields, the innovative practices of local legislative outreach offices in serving local lawmaking and grassroots governance, and to review the development of legal disciplines and the cultivation of legal talents.

At a symposium held after the survey, he listened to suggestions on the legislative plan for the 14th NPC Standing Committee from officials of local legislatures in provincial-level regions, including Hubei, Shanghai, and Jiangsu.

He noted that it is necessary to strengthen legislation on the modern economic system and to improve the legal system for property rights protection, market access, fair competition and social credit. He also called for efforts to enhance the rule of law in such fields as information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the digital economy, as well as to further optimize a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework. Legislation and amendments to laws concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers need to be accelerated to advance urban-rural integration and well-coordinated regional development, he added.