Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a draft of rules outlining the nation's new civil code.  The collection of laws defines people's legal rights and obligations. The government will implement the code as soon as legislation is complete.

Chinese citizens are on their way to getting a civil code. A draft of rules stipulating the code's basic principles has been submitted to the country's top legislature for a first review. The draft is the first step towards adopting a national civil code.

"The general principles of the civil law emphasize equality and justice, reflecting and guiding our Chinese national spirit, social core value and morality. The principles meet the needs of the market system. The priorities for improving the legal system in modern times is to protect people's civil rights, including individuals' freedom and dignity," member of NPC Standing Committee Xu Xianming said.

According to the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, the draft general rules are expected to be approved in 2017 and the whole civil code will be adopted in 2020.

Legislators say the drafting process is an important part of modernizing state governance and safeguarding people's interests.

"The babies in their mothers' embryos will be guaranteed the rights as human beings. And we will lower the age of children with limited capacity for civil affairs from 10 to 6 years old. The changes reflect the times -- the development of technology and economy, children maturing earlier than before. This is a necessary change to ensure that children are obligated to support their parents and take care of family members," NPC deputy Zhu Shanping said.

Legislators also delibrate revisions to the civil rights system, which aims to better protect personal rights, intellectual property rights and legal rights of nonprofit corporation.

The general principles of China's civil code will become a bedrock of Chinese society. Legislators say revisions are being made to better protect people's civil rights, promote the healthy development of society and modernize China's legal system.