What’s new: China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), passed the country’s first-ever civil code Thursday during its annual meeting in Beijing.
The code covers areas including private property, personal privacy, marriage and family, inheritance, and contracts. It will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
What’s more: The civil code, an amalgamation of existing civil laws, includes 1,260 articles. It is the first time the People’s Republic of China has codified its legal system, according to Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC’s standing committee.
Wang also said amendments (link in Chinese) have been made to reflect the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, one article was amended to give community officials the responsibility to care for minors who are without guardians caring for them due to emergencies.
A previous attempt to compile a civil code was shelved in the 1950s, but restarted in 2014, with the first draft finished in 2018.
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)
