Over 280 Chinese cities may get the power to make local laws if a new legislation aimed at diversifying China's centralised governance structure gets the the nod of the national legislature currently holding its annual session here.
So far only 49 cities have legislative powers, including 27 provincial and autonomous regional capitals, four cities in special economic zones and 18 cities selected by the State Council.
Although the new bill expands legislative power to 235 more cities, it imposes strict limitations in a bid to avoid overlapping and maintain the unity of the legal system, Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, told the deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC).
The cities are only allowed to issue local laws about "rural and urban development and management, environmental protection, and preservation of historical heritage and cultural values," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the bill as saying.
Considering that there are a huge number of cities and their conditions vary a lot, the bill suggests that the legislative powers be granted step by step.
It entrusts provincial legislatures to determine how and when the cities will be granted the power, based on their population, territory, social and economic development, the need for legislation and the legislative capacity.
Also, it regulates that autonomous prefectures of ethnic minorities should enjoy the same local legislative powers as those cities.
The NPC Standing Committee suggested the NPC deputies consider granting them legislative power as well.
Prof Ying Songnian with China University of Political Science and Law told Xinhua that more and more Chinese cities find themselves in great need of local laws to better address their own problems as a national law is too rigid to do so.
"In a large and populous country like China, different cities could have completely different priorities and problems. It is more efficient to let locals decide their own affairs," he said.
The bill has already gone through two readings at the NPC Standing Committee in August and December.
