| 摘 要： | The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, has for the second time deliberated on the new version of the Emergency Response Law. The new version deletes the provision under which news media are barred from reporting on emergencies or releasing information concerning emergency events without authorization from relevant authorities. The amended version of this law gives more credence to public opinion, and the growing role of Chinese citizens in legislation is widely acclaimed as a more democratic approach by the government. China's renowned legal professor, Cai Dingjian, Director of the Constitutionalism Research Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, recently commented on the decision to amend this law and on the social effect of mass media. In an interview with The Economic Observer, a leading Chinese business weekly, Cai said that China's steady social transformation demands a free and responsible press in order to secure democratic rights for the people. Excerpts:
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