The lists of candidates for premier of the State Council and some other Chinese leaders and legislators were finalized on Friday after the presidium of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) held its fifth and sixth meetings.

Both presidium meetings were presided over by Executive Chairman of the Presidium Zhao Leji.

At its fifth meeting on Friday morning, the presidium decided that the lists of candidates for premier, vice chairpersons and members of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China, director of the National Commission of Supervision, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and members of the 14th NPC Standing Committee, would be sent to all NPC delegations for discussion and consultation.

The candidates for premier and CMC vice chairpersons and members were nominated by Chinese President and CMC Chairman Xi Jinping.

The candidates for director of the National Commission of Supervision, the chief justice, the procurator-general, and members of the 14th NPC Standing Committee were proposed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the presidium.

At its sixth meeting Friday afternoon, the presidium decided by voting the final lists of candidates for these leaders and legislators. NPC deputies will vote to decide on premier and CMC vice chairpersons and vote to elect the rest at an upcoming plenary meeting.

Between the two presidium meetings, executive chairpersons held their fifth meeting, chaired by Zhao.

(Cover: Zhao Leji, executive chairman of the presidium of the first session of the 14th NPC, presides over the sixth meeting of the presidium at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 10, 2023. /Xinhua)