The third session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, is scheduled to open on March 5 of year 2000, this is the latest news from the nine-day 13th session of the NPC Standing Committee, which ended in Beijing on December 25.

Deputies to the third session are scheduled to examine and deliberate a government work report; to examine and approve a report on the implementation of the 1999 plan for national economic and social development and the 2000 plan for national economic and social development.

They will examine a report on the implementation of the central and local budgets for 1999 and draft budgets for 2000; approve a report on the implementation of central budget for 1999 and the central budget for 2000.

The third session will also examine and deliberate the Draft Legislation Law of the People's Republic of China; working reports by the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.