Page 4 - REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
P. 4
Specifically, General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the important
concept of whole-process people’s democracy and expounded the basic
meaning, defining features, and major principles of China’s socialist
democracy, thus making an original contribution to Marxist theory on
democracy. His thinking on upholding and improving the people’s congress
system clarified the four-fold role of people’s congresses. This marked a step
forward in better defining the people’s congress system and making it more
mature, consolidated, and complete. In October 2021, the Party Central
Committee held the first-ever conference on people’s congresses’ work, where
General Secretary Xi Jinping gave an important speech and laid out
systematic plans for upholding and improving the people’s congress system
and strengthening and enhancing the work of people’s congresses in the new
era.
The system of people’s congresses has ensured the genuine and organic
integration of Party leadership, the running of the country by the people, and
law-based governance, and it serves as China’s foundational political system
that underpins the country’s governance system and capacity. The people’s
congress system has been brought into full play, and, in practice, it has
displayed tremendous vitality and strengths. It provides safeguards for the
people to manage state affairs, economic and cultural undertakings, and
social affairs through various channels and in various ways in accordance
with the law.
Over the past five years, we adopted an amendment to the Constitution,
formulated 47 laws, conducted 111 rounds of revision to existing laws, and
adopted 53 interpretations, decisions, and resolutions on legal issues and
major matters. A total of 19 draft laws and decisions were deliberated and are
pending adoption. We heard and discussed 182 reports on oversight work
and other issues, inspected the implementation of 30 laws and decisions, and
carried out 11 special inquiries and 33 research projects. All 2,282 proposals
and 43,750 suggestions we received from deputies have been processed, with
98 percent of deputies reporting that they were satisfied with the handling of
their proposals or suggestions. We made decisions on ratifying or entering
into 36 treaties and important agreements, sent or received a total of 261
delegations, and held and attended over 400 bilateral and multilateral
diplomatic events via video. We also approved 1,515 appointments and
removals of employees of state institutions in accordance with the law. Our
The four-fold role refers to the fundamental identity of the people’s congresses and their standing
committees as political institutions that consciously uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of
China, institutions of state power that ensure the running of the country by the people, working
institutions that assume functions conferred by the Constitution and the law, and representative
institutions that always maintain close ties with the people.
3