Legislature to review draft law combating telecom and online fraud

A draft law targeting telecom and online fraud will be reviewed by China's top legislature this week to effectively fight relevant offenses and protect people's legitimate rights.

The anti-fraud draft will be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, for first review during its session that will be held from Tuesday to Saturday in Beijing, according to Zang Tiewei, spokesman of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

He told media on Monday that the drafting of the law is in response to public complaint and will implement the central leadership's requirement.

"Telecom and online fraud occupy a large percentage of crimes in our country. Residents often complain about it, as their money, even funds set aside for healthcare, nursing or school, has been stolen by defrauders," he said, adding the offenses have seriously damaged people's interests and affected social stability.

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has attached great importance to the fight against telecom and online fraud, calling for a people-centered approach in the work and an improved legal system in this regard.

Zang said they drafted the law aiming to attack the crimes at their root and to strengthen the nation's governance of finance, telecom and internet.

He said the draft will promote oversight of SIM cards and the internet of things, as well as online financial accounts, with harsher punishments to be meted out against swindlers.

Under the draft, technical measures and systems for monitoring such crimes should also be taken and established in industries and enterprises, he said.

Relevant services or those providing devices that aid fraud crimes will also be targeted in line with the draft, he added.

In addition, lawmakers will review some other draft laws in the following days, including those focusing on promoting family education, land borders, wetland protection and futures, according to an agenda proposed last month.

They will also deliberate draft amendments to the Audit Law, the Organic Law of the Local People's Congress and Local People's Government, the Anti-Monopoly Law and the Civil Procedure Law, it said.

Furthermore, draft revisions to the Animal Husbandry Law, the Law on Physical Culture and Sports and the Law on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products will also be reviewed, it added.