The Star: April 20, 2017

24 Thursday April 20 2017
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The Star
Essential Guide to China’s
“Two Sessions”
The annual political sessions in China have drawn worldwide
attention as the fifth sessions of the 12th National People’s Congress
(NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
(CPPCC), known as the “two sessions”(Lianghui), concluded in
March. However, the “two sessions”, and what they entail, are not fully
understood by many Chinese and overseas observers.
“TWO SESSIONS” IN CHINA’S POLITICAL CALENDAR
The term “two
sessions” refers to the
plenary sessions of
the National People’s
Congress (NPC)
and the National
Committee of the
Chinese People’s
Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC).
The two are held in
early March every
year. Those formal
but wordy titles are difficult to remember, even for Chinese speakers,
therefore, the Chinese moniker “two sessions” (lianghui) was coined.
More than 5000 NPC deputies and members of CPPCC National
Committee attend the sessions. Among them, are top leaders,
renowned economists, entrepreneurs, artists and sportsmen and
representatives from all walks of life. NPC deputies can submit
motions, which are legally binding once adopted, while members of
the CPPCC National Committee can only put forward no-binding
proposals. During the sessions, the central government will reveal
its annual work report, which includes the official gross domestic
product (GDP) forecast as well as information on other major
policies.
NPC AS THE SuPREmE ORgAN Of STATE POWER
According to the Constitution, the NPC is the fundamental political
system in China, with about 2.6 million deputies at various levels.
At the pinnacle of the system sits the NPC which exercises more
than a dozen functions and powers, including the supervision of
the enforcement of the constitution. The central government, the
Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate
answer to the NPC and are supervised by it. The NPC Standing
Committee, a permanent body of the NPC has been active in
inspecting whether governments comply with the law. In 2016, it
conducted six inspections, covering about 30 provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities.
The NPC representatives include people from various backgrounds
and cover a good cross-section of society. Direct election applies
in the selection of township and county-level deputies, while the
deputies at the prefecture, provincial and national levels are elected
by lower level deputies.
NPC deputies at various levels are key channels for community
voices, reflecting local opinions and problems and enabling people
to be masters of the nation. Deputies are both entitled and obliged to
stand for the people’s interests and express their requests.
NPC deputies are not divided into different caucuses according to
party background but into 35 delegations based on where they are
elected from, including 31 provinces, autonomous regions and
municipalities, in addition to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and the
military. Such an arrangement is pragmatic, given China’s large
territory and huge population, and ensures that NPC deputies are
true representatives of the people.
Though they are part-time, NPC deputies are actively engaged in state
affairs. At the annual full session, they review and vote on important
legal documents and personnel changes, including electing president
and vice president of China every five years, as well as submit
motions and proposals. Since 2005, around 500 motions have been
submitted by deputies to every annual session of the NPC. When not
in session, they interact with the people, take up training programs,
and participate in inspections of law enforcement and surveys on
important or urgent issues.
OuTCOmE Of NPC ANNuAL SESSION
This year, among 2,838 NPC deputies present at the closing meeting
of NPC annual session, 2,812 voted in favor of the government work
report; 2,793 for the work report of the NPC Standing Committee;
2,606 for the work report of the Supreme People’s Court; and 2,606
for the work report of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
Lawmakers also approved the General Provisions of the Civil Law, the
decision on the quota and election of deputies to the next 13th NPC
to be convened from 2018, and the methods for electing deputies to
the 13th NPC from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
regions. Other documents approved by the lawmakers included the
2017 national economic and social development plan, and the 2017
central and local budgets.
CPPCC AS TOP POLITICAL ADvISORy bODy
The CPPCC is an important platform on which various political
parties, people’s organizations, and people of all ethnic groups and
from all sectors of society work together democratically participating
in state affairs. As China’s top political advisory body, CPPCC
facilitates China’s multiparty cooperation and political consultation
mechanism.
The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political
consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the
discussion and the handling of state affairs. Political consultation
covers major principles and policies proposed by the central and
local governments and matters of importance concerning political,
economic, cultural and social affairs. Democratic supervision means
offering suggestion and criticism, as well as supervision over the
implementation of the Constitution, other laws, regulations and
major policies, and over the work of government agencies and their
functionaries.
CPPCC members come from China’s various walks of life and ethnic
groups. Most of the CPPCC members are experienced political
figures, social celebrities, and experts and scholars specializing in
various fields.
SETTINg ACHIEvAbLE gROWTH TARgET
One of the most important agendas of “two sessions” is revealing the
government work report. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in delivering
government work report pledged to continue reforms to attain
the economic growth target of about 6.5 percent this year despite
challenges ahead. The realistic growth target this year will help steer
and steady expectations and make structural adjustments as well as
help achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in
all respects by 2020.
Last year, China’s GDP reached
74.4 trillion yuan (10.8 trillion
U.S. dollars), a 6.7-percent
growth, outpacing most other
economies and contributing
more than 30 percent of global
growth. Despite challenges,
China created 13.14 million
urban jobs and increased per
capita disposable income by
6.3 percent. About 12.4 million
people shook off poverty.
Premier Li announced that in 2017, China will keep its CPI increase
at around 3 percent, and create more than 11 million urban jobs
with a registered urban unemployment rate within 4.5 percent. The
country will also reduce its energy consumption per unit of GDP by
at least 3.4 percent. Noting that China must be ready to face more
complicated and graver situations including sluggish world economic
growth and growing trend of protectionism, Li expressed his
confidence that difficulties will be overcome as the country has a solid
material foundation, abundant human resources, a huge market, and
a complete system of industries.
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ACCELERATINg SuPPLy-SIDE STRuCTuRAL REfORm
According to the government work report, efforts of supplyside
structural reform will center on a variety of areas, including
streamlining administration, reducing taxes, further expanding
market access, and reducing ineffective supply while expanding
effective supply. To be specific, China will further reduce steel
production capacity by around 50 million metric tons and coal
capacity by at least 150 million metric tons this year. It also highlighted
cutting excess urban real estate inventory, bringing down the leverage
of enterprises, reducing costs for enterprises and strengthening areas
of weakness including poverty eradication.
fuRTHER OPENINg-uP
Leaning against the anti-globalization headwinds, the Chinese
government emphasized the need to further open up the economy
and attract foreign investment. While joining a panel discussion
during the “two sessions”, President Xi Jinping vowed the country
would keep on opening up on all fronts. Premier Li Keqiang also
detailed unprecedented opening-up measures to the outside world in
the government work report.
According to the report, significant improvements will be made
in the environment for foreign investment. Service industries,
manufacturing and mining will be more open to foreign investment.
Foreign firms will be able to get listed on China’s stock markets and
issue bonds. They will also be allowed to participate in national science
and technology projects. Foreign firms will be treated the same as
domestic firms in
license applications,
standards setting,
and government
procurement, and
will enjoy the same
preferential policies
under the Made in
China 2025 initiative,
a plan to modernize
the manufacturing
sector.
Moreover, China will open its door wider and import more products
and technologies from overseas. And China will extend the practice
of processing international trade through a single window, which
enables cross-border traders to submit regulatory documents at a
single location and thus improves efficiency. The authorities will
achieve nationwide integration of customs clearance procedures this
year.
SAfEguARDINg PEACE AND STAbILITy IN ASIA-PACIfIC
At a press conference after the conclusion of the “two sessions”,
Premier Li Keqiang stressed China hopes to see continued peace and
stability in the Asia-Pacific region. He said Asia-Pacific is the common
home for all countries in this region, and China does not want to see
any party feeling compelled to choose sides under the influence of the
Cold War mentality. China hopes that the Asia-Pacific region will be
one that enjoys good order and stability, a region that is able to work
out issues through consultation and principles, properly manage
differences and has the wisdom to resolve differences.
Premier Li mentioned China and ASEAN have been pushing
forward consultation on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South
China Sea, and substantial
progress has been made in
this regard. China hopes
to see continued peace
and stability in the South
China Sea, believing
that specific disputes
should be addressed and
resolved through dialogue
among the parties directly
concerned.
He also stressed that China
and the United States have
been cooperating with each other for a long time in the Asia-Pacific
region, and there is a wide area of common interests and cooperation
between the two countries. Many U.S. multinationals have placed
their Asia-Pacific headquarters in China. He hopes the areas of
cooperation between the two countries will continue to expand.