What You Need to Know About China’s “Two Sessions”

The upcoming annual “two sessions” in China may be a focus of worldwide attention. What are the two sessions and what they entail? China Matters has produced this summary of the two sessions to answer the questions that foreigners ask most. What are the NPC and the CPPCC? Do deputies receive salaries? What are highlights of this year’s two session?

What are the Two Sessions?

“Two sessions” refers to the plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The CPPCC session starts on March 3 and the NPC session starts on March 5.

Those formal but wordy titles are difficult to remember, even for Chinese speakers, therefore, the Chinese moniker “two sessions” was coined.

What Happens at the Two Sessions?

The routine agenda of the annual NPC meeting include reviewing the annual work report of the central government, work reports by the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate; and reviewing the annual plan for economic and social development and the central and local budgets. This year, an additional agenda is deliberating draft provisions of a new, unified Chinese Civil Code.

Members of the CPPCC National Committee gather to discuss important political, economic and social matters and make proposals.

What are the NPC and the CPPCC?

The NPC is the highest organ of state power.

The CPPCC is China’s top political advisory body. It also facilitates China’s multiparty cooperation and political consultation mechanism, led by the CPC. The CPPCC was established in 1949, five years before the NPC.

What are the Differences Between NPC Motions and CPPCC Proposals?

A motion, after examination by NPC deputies at full meetings of delegates or panel meetings, will be transferred by the presidium to a relevant special committee for further examination. The presidium will examine the report from the special committee and decide to submit the motion to a plenary session of the NPC for a vote. Adoption requires a simple majority. As the NPC is the top legislature, an NPC motion becomes legally binding when it is adopted.

Members of the CPPCC put forward proposals to offer comments and suggestions on major political and social issues to people’s congresses and the government via the CPPCC. For the presentation of a proposal, there is no restriction on timing, scope or number of sponsoring members. A proposal to the CPPCC National Committee, the top advisory body, is not legally binding whether it is adopted or not.

Is NPC Just the Top Legislature?

It is much more than that. According to the Constitution, the NPC exercises more than a dozen functions and powers, including the supervision of the enforcement of the constitution. It also appoints and supervises the president, the chief justice and chief prosecutor of the country.

Who Attends the Two Sessions?

More than 5,000 NPC deputies and members of CPPCC National Committee attend the sessions. Among them, are top leaders, renowned economists, entrepreneurs, artists and sportsmen and representatives from all walks of life. NPC deputies can submit motions, which are legally binding once adopted, while members of the CPPCC National Committee can only put forward no-binding proposals. The 12th NPC, the members of which were elected in 2013, includes 699 female deputies, making up 23.4 percent of the total.

How are Deputies or Members Elected?

According to the Electoral Law, deputies to county and township-level people’s congresses are directly elected by voters, while deputies to people’s congresses above the county level are elected by deputies at the next level. The NPC is elected for a term of five years.

The CPPCC members are selected through consultation and recommendation. The Standing Committee decides, through consultation, on the number of members and the candidates of each CPPCC National Committee after they are examined and approved by the Chairs Council of the preceding CPPCC National Committee. The CPPCC members represent all areas and various sectors of society.

What Privileges do NPC Deputies Receive?

The constitution gives NPC deputies two sets of privileges:

– “Deputies to the NPC may not be held legally liable for their speeches or votes at its meetings”.

– “No deputy to the NPC may be arrested or placed on criminal trial without the consent of the Presidium of the current session of the NPC or, when the NPC is not in session, without the consent of its Standing Committee.”

This approval procedure is designed to protect deputies from interference in their duties, this does not translate to immunity of any kinds.

Do Deputies Receive Salaries?

Most deputies keep their jobs while serving at the people’s congress, and receive no financial compensation for the service. In addition, the law prohibits deputies from seeking personal gain through their official capacities. But the law does specify that deputies with no fixed income shall be appropriately subsidized.

What to Expect for This Year?

This year’s ‘two sessions’ will be especially important as they come at a time when socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and because 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the country’s reform and opening-up policy.

One of the highlights of the “two sessions” is typically the premier’s report on the government’s work, which includes the official gross domestic product(GDP) forecast as well as information on the defense budget and other major policies. Li Keqiang consulted representatives from the education, science and technology, culture, health, and sports sectors, and members of the public, on the draft government work report. Premier Li Keqiang will also hold a press conference, which will provide lots of information about the government’s work and answer questions raised by journalists from all around the world.

Owing to China’s ongoing anti-graft efforts, reports from the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate will be worthy of attention as well. NPC and CPPCC’s reports will review the two bodies’ work during 2017, with press conferences for the two hotly anticipated.

Ministers from bodies including the National Development and Reform Committee, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, will also hold press conferences. Last year, the commerce minister answered questions on the sensitive issue of the possible China-US trade war, and the Foreign Minister talked about THAAD.

According to experts from China.org.cn and the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China (RUC), the following are the hot issues that you need to focus on:

• The work report is expected to shed light on what policies will be introduced to implement “the new development philosophy”, achieve a transition to “high-quality development” and improve people’s livelihoods.
• Emphasis might be placed on “the rural vitalization strategy”, one of the major aspects crucial to the building of a “moderately prosperous society in all respects.”
• The development of the five so-called “happiness industries,” namely tourism, culture, sports, health and elderly care, will receive attention, as the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into the one between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life.
• The issue of environmental protection will share the spotlight during the meetings. Efforts will be stepped up to change China’s industrial, consumption and transportation structures to make progress in air pollution prevention and control.

Source: Xinhua, China Daily, Global Times, english.gov.cn, China.org.cn

Editor: Cai Hairuo