12.03.15 15:17 Age: 10 yrs

Coverage of National People’s Congress Annual Meeting

March 08, 2015, Beijing – Mr. Edward Lehman, Managing Director of Lehman, Lee & Xu joined CCTV’s live coverage of the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress. Mr. Lehman added his voice to Professor Li Zhaojie from Tsinghua University in commenting on the 2015 Work Report of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress as presented to the broader gathering of the National People’s Congress (NPC). With over 2,987 members, the NPC is the world’s largest parliamentary body. Mr. Lehman has participated in commentary on the NPC’s annual meeting for the last 14 consecutive years, and is happy to continue offering his unique insights as a 28+ year resident of China and the country’s first foreign manager of a local law firm.

(Watch the Video: Youtube, Tudou, Lehman Law)

During the broadcast, Mr. Lehman shared his knowledge of the Chinese legislative system and the process by which an official motion undergoes review and formally becomes law. As a long resident of China Mr. Lehman expressed optimism that reforms in the legal system are “moving in the right direction.” While many of Lehman, Lee & Xu’s foreign clients may view the NPC as a “rubber-stamp’ legal body, Mr. Lehman pointed out that recent years have seen important progress in the official process of drafting new laws and opening up proposed drafts for public review and comment prior to formal passage.

Several new laws have been passed in the previous year each highlighting a different area of reform. These include a revised Environmental Law, a new Anti-Terrorism Law, an Anti-Corruption Law, in addition to other efforts to broadly reform the judicial system and practices. Each newly revised law is an important symbol of the continuing reform process in China, and a recognition by Chinese leaders of the need to maintain social momentum toward new standards in a changing society.