民法总则草案提交审议 民法典2020年有望出台

Chinese citizens are on their way to getting a civil code as a draft of rules stipulating the code's basic principles was submitted to the country's top legislature for first reading last Monday.

上周一，民法典总则编(即民法总则)草案提交至国家最高立法机关首次审议，我国公民将拥有自己的民法典。

The National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee will consider the draft general rules at its bi-monthly session.

全国人民代表大会常务委员会将会在其双月座谈会讨论这一草案的总则。

The civil code, a collection of laws designed to cover private law, will be implemented once the legislation is complete.

民法总则是旨涵盖私法的法律集合，一旦立法完成，将得以实施。

Li Shishi, head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said at the opening meeting of the session that the draft general rules are expected to be approved in March 2017 and the whole civil code adopted in March 2020.

全国人大常委会法制工作委员会主任李适时在会议开幕式上表示，预计民法总则草案将在2017年3月通过，统一的民法典将在2020年3月通过。

The code is important in modernizing state governance and safeguarding people's interests. It will also help the economy, Li said.

李适时主任表示，这部法典在国家治理的现代化和维护人民利益方面是非常重要的。此外，它也将有助于我国经济。

The draft general rules define natural persons, legal persons, civil rights, unincorporated organizations, civil liability and limitation of civil actions, among the key terms. The draft general rules increase provisions protecting the civil interests of fetuses in inheritance and acceptance of gifts.

民法总则草案对自然人、法人、民事权利、非法人组织、民事责任和民事诉讼时效等关键术语作了定义，增加了保护胎儿遗产继承和接受赠与的民事利益的规定。

The age standard for persons with limited civil capacity of conduct is lowered from 10 years old to six years old. It also stipulate that intellectual property rights, virtual property and data information are protected by law.

该草案将限制民事行为能力人的年龄标准由10岁降至6岁，并规定，知识产权、虚拟财产和数据信息享受法律保护。