National People's Congress (NPC)

The NPC is the highest organ of state power in the People's Republic of China. It exercises the state power of legislation; makes decisions on important issues in national life; elects and decides on the choice of the leading personnel of the highest state organs of the People's Republic of China, i.e. members of the Standing Committee of the NPC, the President and Vice-President of the state, the choice of the Premier and other component members of the State Council; elects the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and decides on the choice of other component members of the Commission; and elects the President of the Supreme People's Court and the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

A scene of the First Session of the Ninth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China. The NPC is elected for a term of five years and meets once a year. When the NPC is not in session, its permanent organ--the Standing Committee--exercises the state power. The Standing Committee of the NPC is composed of the Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Secretary-General and members. The present Chairman is Li Peng.

The First Session of the Ninth National People's Congress, held March 5-19, 1998, was a transition conference. Its theme was to hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, unite as one, work hard and advance with a pioneering spirit so as to carry the socialist cause with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century in an all-round way. The nearly 3,000 NPC deputies enthusiastically pooled their wisdom and efforts, and justified the great trust placed in them by the people of all ethnic groups by fulfilling several tasks of historical significance: They examined and adopted the Report on the Work of the Government made by Premier Li Peng on behalf of the State Council and the relevant reports concerning the national economy and social development; chose the new government leadership; and examined and approved the program for restructuring the State Council. This Session turned the great objectives put forward at the 15th National Congress of the CPC into the country's will through legal procedures, thus providing a political and organizational guarantee for China's modernization drive.