Beijing, April 24 (IANS) Chinese lawmakers on Monday began reviewing a draft amendment to the Standardisation Law, as the country strives to achieve quality-based development.

The draft revision, the first since the law came into force in 1989, was given a first reading at a four-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Xinhua news agency reported.

"As the country's economy and social conditions have evolved, some of the law's existing clauses are out of date," Tian Shihong, head of the Standardisation Administration of China, said.

The draft expands the scope of standards to cover various sectors, including agriculture, industry, service and social programmes, as they currently only cover industrial products, construction and environmental protection areas.

It will also integrate mandatory standard systems, focusing on the technical requirements of health and safety, national and ecological security, as well as on the basic needs on the management of society and the economy.