What are the functions of National People's Congress?

World
Europe

The National People's Congress (NPC) has four major functions.

The first is, of course, legislative... whereby it clarifies how the country should be governed.

This includes amending the Constitution and enacting basic laws.

China’s legislation has become visionary.

Experts say, a decade ago, a new law was often just a revision of a previous one... but more recent laws – such as the Charity law, and the new National Security Law – are expected to guide the practice forward.

The NPC's second function is in supervision, and how it assesses the running of the country.

The NPC ensures the Constitution and the rule of law are being adhered to, while it also oversees the government and other state organs on behalf of the people.

NPC is now looking to enhance its supervisory tools, to avoid this function being just a formality.

The third is making appointments, whereby it decides who is responsible for various departments.

This reflects its power to elect, appoint and remove members of the central state organs, including the country’s president and vice president, premier, and ministers.

And the last is decision-making – it looks at how the country can develop, or how money should be spent.

The NPC has the power to determine major state issues, such as approving the central government budget, and the national development plan.

These four functions ensure that the NPC remains the highest organ for people to exercise their power.