The NPC, the highest organ of state power in the
PRC, consists of deputies elected by all the provinces,
autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the
Central Government, special administrative regions and the
armed forces. It exercises legislative power, revises the
Constitution and supervises the implementation of the
Constitution; examines and approves national economic and
social development plans and reports on their
implementation; examines and approves state budgets and
reports on their implementation; and elects and decides on
the choice of leading personnel of the highest state organs,
i.e., elects the members of the Standing Committee of the
NPC, the state president and vice-president, decides on the
premier and other members of the State Council, and elects
the chairman and other members of the Central Military
Commission, the president of the Supreme People’s
Court, and the procurator-general of the Supreme
People’s Procuratorate. The NPC has the power to
recall the above-mentioned personnel.
The NPC
is elected for a term of five years. It usually meets once a
year. When the NPC is not in session its Standing Committee
exercises state power. The NPC Standing Committee is
composed of a chairman, several vice-chairmen, a
secretary-general and additional members. Members of the NPC
Standing Committee may not concurrently hold any position in
any of the state administrative, judicial or procuratorial
organs. Under normal circumstances, the NPC Standing
Committee meets once every two months. Important day-to-day
work is handled at executive meetings attended by the
chairman, vice-chairmen and secretary-general. The current
chairman of the NPC Standing Committee is Li Peng.
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