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expenditure more than income so that the surplus was reduced to 2.162 billion Yuan. The main changes were an increase of about Yuan 2 billion in the amount written off for losses and subsidies (48.02 billion revised up to 50.7 billion) and an increase in the expenditure reported on capital construction from 56.97 to 58.38 billion Yuan. Wang Bingqian also reported that from January to May 1986 State domestic revenues had been 73 billion Yuan (35% of budget) and domestic expenditure 70.3 billion Yuan (32.7% of budget). In addition to the Finance Minister's report, the session also heard a report from the Auditor-General, Lu Peijian, on his Department's performance in 1986. 66,000 units and enterprises had been audited resulting in the recovery of 2.82 billion Yuan in monies owing to the State.
4. Wang Meng was duly appointed Minister of Culture in place of Zhu Muzhi (who has gone off to head a new cultural exchange organisation). Wang had been doing the job for some time but was reported to be somewhat reluctant to take it on formally. Given his background both as a talented writer and one who had suffered for his outspokenness during the anti-rightist campaign, his appointment has been generally interpreted as an encouraging sign for those seeking more artistic freedom. He has been carefully middle-of-the-road in his pronouncements on cultural policy so far, but he is probably considerably more liberal than his predecessor who was very much a Party propaganda man.
5. In addition the session also heard and discussed reports on three further items of legislation:
(a) a draft bankruptcy law
(b) amendments to the Security Administration
Punishment Regulations (1957)
(c) draft regulations on diplomatic privileges
and immunities.
The bankruptcy legislation was introduced by Vice Minister Zhang Yanning of the State Economic Commission. He outlined the history of the draft since the State Council ordered it in December 1984, culminating in its approval at the 99th meeting of the State Council on 31 January 1986 and the recommendation that it be submitted to the NPC. Zhang said that
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