China's new supervisory commissions to incorporate administrative, judicial anti ...

China's new supervisory commissions will incorporate existing supervisory, corruption prevention and control agencies within the governments and procuratorates, said a decision adopted by the top legislature Saturday.

The pilot project of reforming supervision system, launched in Beijing, and Shanxi and Zhejiang provinces in January, will be expanded nationwide, according to the decision adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) at its bi-monthly session which closed Saturday.

Supervisory commissions will be set up across the country by the People's Congresses at provincial, city and county-levels within their jurisdiction to supervise those exercising public power, according to the decision.

The commissions would be in charge of three major duties: supervision, investigation and punishment.

They will supervise public functionaries' execution of duty and ethics; investigate illegal activities such as graft, misuse of authority, neglect of duty and wasting public funds; issue administrative penalties; and transfer suspected criminal cases to the procuratorates, said the decision.

It also specified a series of means could be used in carrying out those duties, including inquiry, search, freezing assets and detention.

Some regulations of relevant laws, such as the laws on administrative supervision and criminal procedure, would be temporary adjusted or suspended during the reform.

Lawmakers also adopted a decision to temporarily adjust the laws of national defense and armed police to facilitate the reform of the armed police force.