In addition to the Labor Contract Law and the New Labor Law, which were passed in July, 2007, China’s National People’s Congress also passed the Law on Labor Dispute Mediation and Arbitration (the Labor Dispute Law) in December, 2007 which is designed to protect the rights and interests of employees by providing detailed provisions for mediation and arbitration in order to resolve labor disputes. Some important changes include: the time limits to apply for arbitration is extended from 60 days to one year, and the processing period of labor dispute arbitration has been shortened to 50 days. The Labor Dispute Law also makes the employer more responsible for things like providing evidence.