China's national legislature concludes annual session

Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attend the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, concluded its first session Monday morning.

Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the closing meeting, which was presided over by Zhao Leji.

When addressing the meeting, President Xi Jinping said that the people's trust is the biggest motivation that drives him to march on and a great responsibility he shoulders.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that he will faithfully fulfill his responsibilities bestowed by the Constitution, with the nation's needs as his mission and the people's interests his yardstick.

He pledged to perform his duty scrupulously, do his utmost, and prove worthy of the trust of all NPC deputies and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

Xi stresses unswervingly advancing high-quality development, putting the people first on the new journey, better coordinating development and security, advancing the practice of "one country, two systems" and the cause of national reunification, and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

He also stressed upholding the leadership of the CPC and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee.

Voicing support to Xi's speech, Zhao Leji, chairman of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, called for carefully studying and implementing Xi's instructions, when addressing the closing meeting.

The 14th NPC and its standing committee will thoroughly implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, ensure its smooth operation, and contribute to the cause of building a modern socialist country in all respects, Zhao said.

At the closing meeting, NPC deputies passed by voting resolutions on the government work report, on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan in 2022 and the plan for 2023, and on the implementation of the central and local budgets in 2022 and the budgets for 2023.

They also adopted resolutions on the work reports of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, as well as a revision to the Legislation Law.

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping waves to deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders met with the deputies and had group photos taken with them after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Xi Jinping waves to deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders met with the deputies and had group photos taken with them after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders meet with deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and have group photos taken with them after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. Zhao Leji, chairman of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, presided over and addressed the meeting. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) sing the national anthem at the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) press buttons to vote at the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Jinhai)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

The closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) walk towards the Great Hall of the People for the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)

Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) leave the Great Hall of the People after the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)