Law reform: delegating central power in exchange of local wisdom

The city of Wenzhou is at the last step of a two-decade persistent pursuit as a draft revision to the Legislation Law expands legislative power from 49 Chinese cities to at least 284 nationwide.

Zheng Xuejun, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from east China's Zhejiang Province and newspaper editor based in Wenzhou city, has taken it a personal mission to lobby for the city's legislative power.

"I feel a responsibility to carry on what previous lawmakers from Wenzhou worked hard for," Zheng said. She raised the issue three times in person to top legislator Zhang Dejiang.

EASING CONTROL OVER MARKET

Known for its vigorous private business and strong entrepreneurship tradition, Wenzhou is often at the frontline of trying bold economic reform policies. A pilot project of legalized private lending, in operation in Wenzhou, had not been endorsed by the State Council until a local credit crisis caused by underground lending in 2011 and a provincial regulation only came out after two years of the trial.

"New businesses come up and so do new problems. National and provincial laws are a bit late to respond to our city's situation," she said.

The bill, tabled for the third reading at this NPC annual session, is likely to be put for a vote this weekend.

Liang Ying, a member of staff with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, told Xinhua that the provision indicates a changing perspective towards the national and local governance.

"It is not a simple change of a statute but shows that the central authority is delegating its power in exchange of local wisdom and dynamics, in face of serious economic restructuring and social reform," he said.

For a country ruled for more than 2,000 years by a powerful central authority, where even a county chief was directly appointed by the emperor at the faraway capital, the change is significant.

It accompanies the government easing control over the market. In this year's government work report, Premier Li Keqiang promised to exchange less government power with more market vitality.

"FIVE LINES OF DEFENSE"

However, the bill stirred a mixed feeling of excitement and worry among other lawmakers.

South China's Guangdong Province, also a test ground for reform attempts, is likely to see 17 more city legislatures empowered to make local laws.

"It can be a very good thing. It can be messy," said Wu Qing, an NPC deputy and veteran lawyer, at a panel discussion about the bill at the ongoing national legislative session.

Citing Dongguan City in the province known for its booming export industry, Wu said local legislative power might help the city to take a full advantage of a ministry-supervised pilot project on soil pollution treatment.