Laws on foreign relations, barrier-free living passed

Two new laws — one on external relations and the other on building a barrier-free living environment — were adopted by the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress on Wednesday when it wrapped up its latest three-day session.

The Law on Foreign Relations was passed by the Standing Committee of the NPC, China's top legislature, after a second review. The law, which will take effect on Saturday, was first deliberated on by Chinese lawmakers in October.

After the first review, the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission sent the legal document to central and local government agencies, some colleges and law academies, among others, soliciting their opinions. It was also uploaded online to gather people's suggestions from Dec 30 to Jan 28, Zang Tiewei, spokesman for the commission, said before the second review.