Backgrounder: People's Congress System, NPC

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 04, 2003

Backgrounder: People's Congress System, NPC

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The people's congress system is the fundamental political system of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the organizational form of the state power of the people's democratic dictatorship in China, and the system of government of the country. The system most directly reflects the nature of the PRC, indicating the status of the Chinese people of various nationalities as masters in the country's political life.

The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese people exercise their state power.

In 1953, China held people's congresses at different levels. In 1954, the First National People's Congress (NPC) was convened, which marked the establishment of the people's congress system.

The NPC exercises legislative power, amends the Constitution and supervises its enforcement, formulates and amends basic statutes and other laws; elects and decides on leading personnel of state-level administrative, judicial, procuratorial and military bodies, and has the right to recall them; examines and decides on fundamental, long-term and key issues.

All administrative, judicial, procuratorial and military organsand other state-level institutions are responsible to the NPC and supervised by it.

The NPC Standing Committee, the permanent organ of the NPC, is elected by the NPC and exercises the legislative power of the state together with the NPC. Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Ye Jianying, Wan Li and Qiao Shi successively served as chairmen of past NPC Standing Committees. Li Peng is chairman of the Ninth NPC StandingCommittee.

Among the nine terms of the NPC, eight have special committees except the Fourth NPC, which was in sessions during the "Great Cultural Revolution" (1966-1976).

The Ninth NPC has established nine special committees: the Ethnic Affairs Committee; Law Committee; Committee for Internal and Judicial Affairs; Financial and Economic Committee; Education,Science Culture and Health Committee; Foreign Affairs Committee; Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee; Environment and Resources Protection Committee; and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee.These committees are permanent bodies under the leadership and supervision of both the NPC and its Standing Committee.

The NPC's delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is known as "the NPC Delegation." On Dec. 8, 1983, the Third Meeting of the Sixth NPC Standing Committee decided to join the IPU. In April 1984, the IPU Council's 134th meeting made an official announcement to accept the NPC Delegation as its member.

The NPC Delegation aims to promote mutual understanding and friendly exchanges with parliamentary members of different countries, develop friendship and cooperation with peoples of different countries, and safeguard world peace.

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