People’s Congress System
2 min readPeople’s Congress System (Part One)
The People’s Congress System is the primary political system by which the Chinese people act as masters of the state.
The Chinese people take part in managing state affairs through the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the local people’s congresses at various levels. The Chinese Constitution stipulates that the National People’s Congress is the highest organ of state power.
In China, all the departments of the state are created by the people’s congresses to which they are responsible and by which they are supervised. All major issues of the state are decided by the people’s congresses. The National People’s Congress and the local people’s congresses at various levels are formed through democratic elections. They are responsible to the people and subject to their supervision.
The people’s congresses have 4 main functions and powers: legislation, supervision, appointment and removal of officials, and making decisions on major issues. These functions are a major reflection of the fact that the Chinese people exercise their power as masters of the state through the system of people’s congresses.
People’s Congress System (Part Two)
The Chinese constitution and law stipulate that the term of office of each National People’s Congress and each of local people’s congresses at various levels is 5 years. The National People’s Congress meets in session once a year, and local people’s congresses at various levels meet at least once a year. The Election Law of People’s Congresses also stipulates that the number of deputies to each National People’s Congress shall not exceed 3,000. Since the number of deputies to the National People’s Congress is fairly large and makes it inconvenient to hold frequent meetings, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee is established to exercise the functions and powers of the highest organ of state power when the National People’s Congress is not in session. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee normally meets once every two months. It is composed of one chairperson, a number of vice chairpersons, one secretary-general and a number of members. The standing committees have also been established by local people’s congresses at and above the county level. Practice has proved that the People’s Congress System is a basic political system. It has taken root among the masses and, therefore, is full of vigor; it represents the common will and interests of the people. Through the People’s Congress System, the Chinese people of all ethnic groups hold the future and fate of the state and the nation firmly in their own hands.
