China's system of people's congress is an important institutional vehicle for realizing a whole-process people's democracy as well as a platform to guarantee wide participation, a Chinese official said on Wednesday.

Song Rui, director general of the Research Office of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference on the progress and achievements in upholding and improving the people's congress system in the new era. 

In terms of institutional support, Song pointed out that the most important thing for the people to be the masters of the country is to hold and exercise state power effectively through people's congresses in managing the country.

People's congresses at all levels are a fundamental vehicle guaranteeing that the people run the country, he said, by managing state and social affairs and economic and cultural undertakings in conformity with legal provisions.

Under the system, the Constitution and laws are formulated and amended to provide a reliable guarantee of the rule of law for the whole process of people's democracy, Song said.

The congresses cover all aspects of democratic elections, consultation, decision-making, management and oversight, and oversee the people's right to information, participation, expression, and oversight are implemented in every area and at every stage.

He added the whole-process people's democracy protects the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people by taking into account all aspects of social conditions and public sentiment. 

This form of democracy offers a new way of implementing people's sovereignty, which pursues the unification of process and results-based democracy, procedural democracy and substantive democracy, direct democracy and indirect democracy, as well as people's democracy and state will.

A more mature system

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the people's congress system has become more mature and better defined, Deputy Secretary General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Wang Tiemin told the press conference.

The implementation of the Constitution has improved to a new level, Wang pointed out, adding that in 2018, the NPC adopted the fifth amendments to the document on consolidating the rule of law and gathering majestic forces for the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

The NPC and its Standing Committee had enacted 68 laws, revised 237 laws, issued nine legal interpretations and adopted 99 decisions on major legal issues, while 292 laws were currently in effect, he said.

Wang noted that laws that are urgently needed for national governance and essential for satisfying the people's growing need for a better life have been introduced or improved since the 18th CPC National Congress, including the codification of China's first Civil Code and the formation or revision of more than 20 laws directly related to national security.

The legislation on vaccine management and on the promotion of family education addresses outstanding issues of concern to the public from the legal system, he said, adding the legislation for environmental protection has also been enhanced as over 20 laws have been formulated or revised in related fields.

Through enacting the Foreign Investment Law and the Hainan Free Trade Port Law, and amending the Land Management Law and the Anti-monopoly Law, the country's reform achievements are consolidated in the legal form, Wang said.

Over the decade, the NPC Standing Committee has heard and deliberated more than 150 work reports, inspected the enforcement of over 50 laws and conducted 25 special inquiries and 43 research projects, he said.

Wang added that the Standing Committee has also formulated 35 measures for strengthening and improving work related to NPC deputies, in an effort to support and guarantee the law-based performance of their duties.