Two steps forward ...
Negative publicity often engulfs mainland China. But every once in a while, something happens that makes one think that perhaps the country is on the right path after all.
One such event was the recent sitting of the country's legislature - the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. The session was told that next month, for the first time, a public hearing would be held on a proposed amendment to the personal income tax law. The same gathering also decided to outlaw sexual harassment.
These two steps will move the mainland closer to the developed world in terms of legislative procedures and human rights.
Legislative hearings are a novelty for the mainland, and much time will be needed to develop them. But the fact that the government has decided to hold them indicates recognition that the public needs a role in the enactment of laws.
And while the sexual harassment law is vague, it is clearly another step forward in safeguarding the rights of women.
The legislation fails to define 'sexual harassment', so exactly what is - and is not - forbidden remains to be seen. But the law is more specific about schools: it prohibits them from rejecting students on the basis of gender or from raising admission standards for girls.
Only a few days earlier, Beijing had issued a white paper on gender equality and women's development, to mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nations conference on women held in Beijing.
While the legislative hearing scheduled for September 27 will be the first of its kind at the national level, provincial legislatures have been holding them for some time.
One of the first was in Guangzhou, in September 1999, when the provincial people's congress held a hearing at which members of the public were able to give their views on proposed changes to the law governing tendering for building projects.
Guangdong in 1993 had become the first province to introduce laws on tendering.
The entire 3?-hour hearing was broadcast live on radio in Guangzhou. Moreover, foreign diplomats and media were allowed to observe the proceedings. It remains to be seen whether the hearing next month in Beijing will be open to foreign observers, and whether they will be broadcast - or perhaps even televised - live.
The hearings will address a government proposal to raise the income tax threshold. Currently, it is set at 800 yuan a month; the proposal is to raise it to 1,500 yuan. This means people earning between 800 and 1,500 yuan would no longer pay tax.
Four categories of people will be invited to attend, according to Xinhua. They include officials from the Ministry of Finance and other governmental organisations, wage earners, trade union representatives and officials from poorer provinces. The last category is being included because less developed provinces may find their revenue significantly reduced by such a change in the tax law.
The Standing Committee also adopted a law on public order that is aimed at maintaining social stability and curbing police abuse. The legislation, which comes into effect in March, sets out penalties for those who instigate and organise unauthorised public assemblies and demonstrations - a growing trend.
One section may well be directed at practitioners of Falun Gong, which is already outlawed as an 'evil cult'. It provides that those who affect social stability in the name of religion or practise qigong breathing exercises can be detained for up to 15 days and fined a maximum of 1,000 yuan.
All in all, however, the batch of laws passed or proposed seem positive and should turn the mainland into a more liveable and acceptable society.
Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based writer and commentator
