BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese lawmakers will consider a draft law revision to provide tougher rules against trafficking women after a string of crimes triggered calls for crackdown and legislation.

The upcoming session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, to be held from April 18 to 20, will deliberate a draft revision to the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women, Zang Tiewei, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said Thursday.

The draft, to be submitted for a second reading, will propose a "mandatory reporting and screening mechanism" to swiftly identify and handle crimes against women, Zang said.

Household registration and marriage registration organs, local governments, women's associations, and hotels will have to report to the police if they suspect women are being trafficked or abducted.

When soliciting public comments after a first reading of the draft, the legislature received over 420,000 online comments and nearly 300 letters from the public, Zang said.

(Source: Xinhua)