ecns [expanded by feedex.net]: NPC Q&A;: What's up at this year's NPC session?

ecns [expanded by feedex.net]

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NPC Q&A;: What's up at this year's NPC session?
http://www.ecns.cn/2015/03-04/156709.shtml
Mar 4th 2015, 08:02

2015-03-04 17:02


The third session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature of China, will open in Beijing on Thursday.[Special coverage]


The meeting, which will gather about 3,000 legislators from across the country, is the highest-level forum where Chinese people can exercise their state power.


Here is a brief introduction of what will be going on during the annual meeting.


What's on the agenda of this year's NPC session?


A bill to revise the Legislation Law is to be read for the third time by the legislators at the session. The bill has already gone through two readings at the NPC Standing Committee's bi-monthly sessions.


Lawmakers will, both in plenary meetings and gatherings within their own delegations, review six reports on the work of the government, of the NPC Standing Committee, of the judicial and prosecution authorities, and on the government's budget and the country's economic and social development plan.


There will be no remarkable personnel changes for voting.


Does this make this year's NPC session any less important?


No. The session is a valuable platform to accumulate consensus and pool wisdom to cope with challenges posed from the growth slowdown of the world's second largest economy in decades and navigate the reforms into uncharted waters.


The year of 2015 is considered a key one to realize the overall reform blueprint set by the leadership in 2013 and the first year since the legal reform plan last October that aims to realize the rule of law in China. It is also the last year for the government to meet the targets set by the country's 12th five-year national development plan, which range from people's livelihood to pollution control.


At the annual session's opening meeting, Premier Li Keqiang will deliver his annual government work report, which will set the target of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2015 and other indices including the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and employment. It will also include the country's fiscal and monetary policies as well as priorities of government spending.


The draft amendment to the Legislation Law, though seemingly distant from everyday life, is an essential part in the country's big plan to realize the rule of law. To be reviewed by all NPC deputies suggests its significance.


Several high-profile press conferences, including one by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and another by Premier Li Keqiang at the end of the session, will be held on the sidelines of the session.


What are the subjects of major public interest among the Chinese?


Chinese economy's "new normal" hit the headlines of media coverage on the upcoming political session and ranked the third in an online poll of "what's hot at the two sessions" at the People's Daily's website, joined by 3.72 million participants.


Having got used to remarkable figures in the reports, the public is clearly concerned about the growth slowdown and looking forwards to reasonable explanation and effective solutions.


Environment will still be one of the hottest topics during the NPC session, considering heated discussion about the smog ahead the session.


Meanwhile, social fairness continues to seize public attention as in previous years. The distribution of wealth and anti-corruption drive took the first and second places in the People's Daily's survey.


Other dominant concerns include food and drug safety, education, social security and government reforms.





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