Source: Xinhua News Agency
Original Title: The First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress Convenes in Beijing
Xi Jinping, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Wang Qishan and others took seats on the rostrum.
Li Keqiang delivered government work report; Zhao Leji presided over the meeting.
Agendas include heeding explanation for a draft amendment to the Legislation Law.
On March 5, the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) opened its first session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Party and state leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Wang Qishan and others attended the meeting. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Beijing, March 5 (Xinhua) The 14th National People’s Congress opened its first session on the morning of March 5 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Nearly 3,000 delegates of the National People’s Congress attended the meeting with people’s expectations on their shoulders, conscientiously performing the sacred functions vested by the Constitution and laws.
On March 5, the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) opened its first session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Xi Jinping was captured walking into the hall. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Everything in Beijing takes on a new look with great vitality in early spring. The Great Assembly Hall of the Great Hall of the People appeared solemn and warm, and the national emblem at the center of the curtain of the rostrum gleamed against the red flag.
On March 5, the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress was convened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
The meeting was presided over by Zhao Leji, standing chairperson and executive chairman of the presidium of the meeting. Standing chairpersons and executive chairmen of the meeting Li Ganjie, Li Hongzhong, Wang Dongming, Xiao Jie, Zheng Jianbang, Ding Zhongli, Hao Mingjin, Cai Dafeng, He Wei and Wu Weihua took seats for the executive chairmen on the rostrum.
Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Wang Qishan and others took seats on the rostrum.
The number of the delegates supposed to attend the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress was 2,977. The meeting on the morning of March 5 was actually attended by 2,948 delegates with 29 absent, meeting the quorum.
At 9 a.m., Zhao Leji declared: the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China opens. All rise and sing the national anthem with the accompaniment of the military band.
On March 5, the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress was convened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council delivered the government work report. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)
According to the agenda of the meeting, Premier Li Keqiang delivered government work report on behalf of the State Council. The report is divided into two parts: First, work review in 2022 and over the past five years; Second, recommendations for the work of the government this year.
Li Keqiang pointed out in the report that the year 2022 was a year of great importance in the history of the Party and our country. The Party successfully convened its 20th National Congress, during which it drew up an inspiring blueprint for building China into a modern socialist country in all respects. In the face of high winds and choppy waters in the international environment and challenging tasks in promoting reform, development, and stability at home, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core brought together the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and led them in meeting difficulties head-on. We acted on the requirements of responding effectively to Covid-19, maintaining economic stability, and ensuring security in development, and intensified macro regulation. As a result, we stabilized the economy, steadily enhanced development quality, and maintained overall social stability, securing new and hard-won achievements in China’s development.
Li Keqiang stated in the report that the past five years have been truly momentous and remarkable. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have met numerous tests, including accelerated changes on the international landscape, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a domestic economic slowdown. We both won the critical battle against poverty and finished building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as scheduled, thus attaining the First Centenary Goal and embarking on a new journey to realize the Second Centenary Goal.
Li Keqiang pointed out in the report that over the past five years, we have fully implemented the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We developed new ways of conducting macro regulation to keep the economy operating within an appropriate range. We secured victory in the critical battle against poverty within the set time frame and consolidated and built on our gains in poverty alleviation. We deepened reform of key areas and crucial links to energize the market and stimulate social creativity. We fully implemented the innovation-driven development strategy and improved and upgraded the industrial structure. We expanded effective domestic demand and promoted coordinated regional development and new urbanization. We ensured China’s food security and vigorously implemented the rural revitalization strategy. We remained committed to opening up wider to the world and expanded international economic and trade cooperation to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes. We strengthened environmental protection and pursued green and low-carbon development. We took concrete steps to ensure and improve the people’s wellbeing and accelerated the development of social programs. We continued to perform government functions in accordance with the law and develop new ways of conducting governance and ensured social stability.
Li Keqiang emphasized in the report that we owe our achievements in these five years to the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and the concerted efforts of the whole Party, the armed forces, and Chinese people of all ethnic groups.
Li Keqiang stressed in the report that we are keenly aware that China is still a large, developing country. It remains in the primary stage of socialism with prominent imbalances and inadequacies in its development. We must face these problems and challenges squarely, make every effort to make improvements, and do all we can to live up to the people’s trust.
Li Keqiang stated in the report that this year is the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles from the Party’s 20th National Congress. The main projected targets for development this year are as follows: GDP growth of around 5 percent; around 12 million new urban jobs; surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent; CPI increase of around 3 percent; growth in personal income that is generally in step with economic growth; steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports; a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments; grain output of over 650 million metric tons; continued reductions in energy consumption per unit of GDP and in the discharge of major pollutants, with priority on controlling fossil fuel consumption; and steady improvements in the quality of the eco-environment.
In recommendations for the work of government in 2023, Li Keqiang proposed the following highlights: First, expanding domestic demands; second, accelerating the modernization of the industrial system; third, unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector; fourth, intensifying efforts to attract and utilize foreign investment; fifth, effectively preventing and defusing major economic and financial risks; sixth, stabilizing grain output and advancing rural revitalization; seventh, continuing the transition to green development; eighth, meeting people’s basic living needs and developing social programs.
Li Keqiang also elaborated on work related to ethnic groups, religious affairs, overseas Chinese, national defense, military development, development of Hong Kong and Macao, cross-Strait relations, and China’s foreign policy.
Li Keqiang won a thunderous applause for the report.
According to the agenda for the meeting, the meeting also reviewed the State Council’s implementation of the 2022 plan for national economic and social development, the report on the 2023 draft plan and the 2023 draft plan for national economic and social development, the State Council’s implementation of the central and local budgets for 2022, report on the 2023 draft central and local budgets for 2023, and draft central and local budgets for 2023.
On March 5, the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress was convened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. On behalf of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, Wang Chen, Vice Chairperson of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, made explanations to the draft amendment to the Legislation Law. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
On behalf of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, Wang Chen, Vice Chairperson of the 13th NPC Standing Committee, made explanations to the draft amendment to the Legislation Law.
According to the draft amendment to the Legislation Law, legislation represents an important political activity of a country and has bearing on the cause of the Party and the country, as it enables the Party to turn its proposals and people’s willingness into state policies. Legislation Law is a basic law that standardizes legislative system and legislation of the State. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has been perceiving from the overall situation and the strategic height of development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It has made historical achievements for launching a series of initiatives to promote the rule of law and advancing a series of major undertakings. General Secretary Xi Jinping has elaborated in depth on a series of major theories and practice related to comprehensive law-based governance. Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law has provided fundamental principle for comprehensively promoting law-based governance and improving legislative work.
It is pointed out in the explanations that amending the Legislation Law serves to strengthen the overall Party leadership of the legislative work and ensures implementation of the Party’s lines, principles, policies, decisions and arrangements according to law. It is an objective requirement for insisting on and developing whole-process people’s democracy in the new era, and for ensuring people’s status as masters of the country based on law. Amending the Legislation Law is also an important measure for promoting overall law-based governance, constitution-based governance and building a socialist law-based country in the new era. It is also a realistic need for correctly handling the practical experience of reform and law-based governance, advancing reform based on law governance and improving law-based governance amid reform. The draft amendment to the Legislation Law consists of 37 articles. First, improving guidance and principle for the Legislation Law; second, clarifying relevant requirements for constitutional review; third, improving institutional mechanism for coherence and unity between legislation decisions and reform decisions; fourth, improving the limits of legislative power, legislation procedures and work mechanism of the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee; fifth, supplementing relevant contents to adapt to the needs of reforming supervision system; sixth, improving the limits and procedures of local laws and regulations; seventh, improving the recordation review system.
Through a vote at the meeting, the following decisions related to the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress were made: the 14th Special Committees of the National People’s Congress will be established; chairmen, vice chairmen and members of the special committees will be elected; chairmen, vice chairmen and members of the 14 National People’s Congress Constitution and Law Committee will be elected; and chairmen, vice chairmen and members of the Finance and Economic Commission of the 14th National People’s Congress will be elected.
Leaders taking seats on the rostrum also include: Ma Xingrui, Wang Yi, Yin Li, Shi Taifeng, Liu He, Liu Guozhong, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan, Li Shulei, Yang Xiaodu, He Weidong, He Lifeng, Zhang Youxia, Zhang Guoqing, Chen Wenqing, Chen Jining, Chen Miner, Hu Chunhua, Yuan Jiajun, Huang Kunming, Liu Jinguo, Wang Xiaohong, Cao Jianming, Zhang Chunxian, Shen Yueyue, Ji Bingxuan, Arken Imirbaki, Wan Exiang, Chen Zhu, Padma Choling, Wei Fenghe, Wang Yong, Zhao Kezhi, Zhou Qiang, Zhang Jun, Liu Qibao, Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, Wan Gang, He Houhua, Lu Zhangong, Ma Biao, Chen Xiaoguang, Leung Chun-ying, Xia Baolong, Yang Chuantang, Li Bin, Bagatur, Wang Yongqing, Su Hui, Gu Shengzu, Liu Xincheng, Shao Hong, Gao Yunlong, and members of the Central Military Commission Li Shangfu, Liu Zhenli, Miao Hua, Zhang Shengmin, etc.
John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region, attended the meeting and took seats on the rostrum.
Members of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress attended the meeting. CPPCC Members of the First Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee attended the meeting.
Relevant departments of the central state organs and of the People’s Liberation Army, people in charge of the People’s Armed Police and people’s organizations attended or sat in on the meeting.
Foreign diplomatic envoys sat in on the meeting.
