China's top legislature began its bimonthly session Monday, discussing bills including Vice President Xi Jinping's appointment as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to the bill, Xi was nominated by President Hu Jintao, also CMC chairman.

Xi, Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, was previously appointed vice chairman of the CMC of the CPC at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee that ended on October 18.

At Monday's session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, lawmakers reviewed the draft law on vehicle and vessel taxation for the first time, which sets out provisions for reducing taxes on energy-saving and clean energy-powered vehicles while imposing more taxes on cars with big engines.

The law is expected to improve and standardize the taxation system, following the principles of being fair, eco-friendly and saving energy.

China, having a total of 199 million vehicles, currently only has a regulation on vehicle and vessel tax, that took effect in 2007.

In addition, at the session lawmakers began its fourth reading of a draft law on social insurance that aims to prevent the improper use of social security funds.

The draft law stipulates that social security funds may neither be used to cover government budget deficits, build or renovate government offices, nor pay government agencies' day-to-day expenditures.

The first draft was submitted to the legislature in December, 2007, following a scandal in Shanghai involving 3.7 billion yuan ($502.3 million) of social security funds.

Legislators also discussed the draft amendment to the Organic Law of Villagers' Committees, which will be reviewed for the third time, regarding rural people having greater powers to remove village committee members and to convene meetings to decide village affairs.

The draft amendments to the Law on Deputies to the NPC and Local People's Congresses at Various Levels were reviewed the second time, which further specify the rights and duties of lawmakers.

The draft, seeking to ensure lawmakers better perform their duties and increase supervision of them, says relevant organizations and government bodies should respond to lawmakers' inspection and investigation, and send feedbacks to them.

At the session, lawmakers also discussed for the third time the draft law on law application to civil relationships involving foreign interests.

(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2010)