Deputies to the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), in session here since Monday, have called for urgent legislation on Internet safety.

A motion to the effect was submitted to the top legislature of China by deputies from Zhejiang Province in east China.

The deputies said a law on Internet safety will provide authorities with a legal means to crack down on criminal activities on the Internet for the protection of national security and the promotion of economic and social development.

Such a law will provide protection over online tax collection, insurance, contract signing, electronic payment, financial management and other services and also set standards for Internet- related coding and decoding and the protection of privacy.

Internet-related crimes in China are currently dealt with in accordance with administrative regulations on computer security and information network safety, and provisions in the criminal law.

Deputies said the current legal frame work is outdated and often non-operable, and makes it hardly possible to bring criminals to justice.

Latest statistics have put the population of China's Internet users at over 22 million.