The annual session of China’s top legislature – the National People’s Congress or the NPC – will be convening on March 5. When talking about the NPC, the term “rubber stamp” has often been used by some international media to suggest that the NPC’s legislative function is only a decoration, used to approve bills drafted by other institutions. 

Well, if you continue to hear that metaphor this year, chances are high that you are being informed by someone out of touch with reality. During the past five years, the NPC has seen its functions gradually enhanced in profound ways. And I will explain using three aspects. 

First of all, more and more laws are being drafted by the NPC, instead of by relevant government departments. The National Anthem Law, the law on awarding state medals, titles of honor, and the charity law are all examples of NPC-led legislation. Such a practice reduces the possibility of government departments legalizing their interests, which has been a chronic illness of China’s legislative process. Over the past five years, the NPC has led 67 pieces of legislative work. The number might sound humble, but the trend is significant. 

Secondly, according to the Chinese Constitution, the NPC and its permanent body – the NPC Standing Committee – would be jointly exercising legislative power. The difference is that the NPC would enact and amend important basic laws affecting the country. However in the past, the division of power was blurred, and the function of the NPC as the supreme legislative organ was not respected fully. Since 2015, however, that has been changing. For 3 consecutive years, the NPC has considered bills and amendments, including the adoption of the General Provisions of the Civil Law and the amendment to the Legislation Law. 2018 will mark the fourth consecutive year that the NPC is reclaiming its due legislative power. 

Thirdly, transparency has become a must. All legal drafts must be open to the public for feedback, a departure from the past when such a process was treated randomly, with many exceptions. This has not been an easy change as some laws, which might have been considered too sensitive, have also been made available for public scrutiny. During the past five years, legal drafts have been made public a total of 81 times, including the law on national security and the much-anticipated law on national supervision. Some laws went public on multiple occasions. That number is said to rise further as the mysterious veil over legislative work is lifted. 

There are serious changes taking place to give back the NPC its due powers. And genuine efforts are also being made to give the people more say in the process. It’s not perfect, but the effort is ongoing. And this is what you probably won’t hear in your usual news feeds. You’ve got the point. I’m Liu Xin. Follow me on Facebook or twitter using the handle @thepointwithlx. Thanks for watching.