Li said ensuring greater observance of the Constitution and enhancing constitutionality reviews to safeguard the Constitution's sanctity and authority are key tasks for the NPC this year.

The NPC Standing Committee will also speed up legislation in key areas such as national security, scientific and technological innovation, public health and biosecurity, he said.

"In our annual legislative plan, we've made preliminary arrangements for the deliberation of 45 legislative items, with close to 20 additional items in reserve," he said.

Included in the legislative agenda are a new law on responding to public health emergencies and revisions to the Wildlife Protection Law, the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law.

Legislators will also take steps to strengthen the legal system for national security, such as formulating a law to combat organized crime and laws on land borders, food security, data security and the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel, according to the work report.

Legislation will also focus on developing a modern economic system and stimulating scientific and technological innovation with a Hainan free trade port law as well as drafting laws on futures trading, stamp duties and rural vitalization promotion. Revisions are expected for the Anti-Monopoly Law, the Law on Scientific and Technological Progress, the Company Law, the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law and the Audit Law, the report showed.