BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Following is the full text of the Report on the Work of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), which was delivered by Chairman Zhang Dejiang of the NPC Standing Committee on March 8, 2015 for review at the Third Session of the 12th NPC and adopted on March 15, 2015:
REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
Delivered at the Third Session of the 12th National People's Congress on March 8, 2015
Zhang Dejiang
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
Fellow Deputies,
On behalf of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), I now present to you this report on the work of the Standing Committee for your deliberation.
Major Work of the Past Year
In 2014, under the firm leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary, the Standing Committee has been comprehensively implementing the guidelines of the 18th National Party Congress and the third and fourth plenary sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee; following the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development; and fully putting into practice the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's major speeches. We have been focusing on the overall work of the Party and country as we have performed our functions and powers in accordance with the law, fully playing our role as the country's highest organ of state power and conscientiously working to ensure the accomplishment of all our tasks as set forth by the Second Session of the 12th NPC. As a result, we have made new progress and achievements in all our work.
I. We have been upholding the leadership of the CPC and have enhanced our confidence in the system of people's congresses.
The leadership of the Party is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In adhering to and improving the system of people's congresses, we must unwaveringly uphold the Party's leadership and strengthen our confidence in the system. We must improve the system on the basis of upholding the Party's leadership and develop it through practice to ensure it advances with the times.
1. We have been upholding the Party's leadership throughout every process and aspect of the work of the NPC.
In upholding the Party's leadership, we must first and foremost uphold the centralized leadership of the CPC Central Committee. In carrying out the work of the NPC, we must resolutely implement the Party's line, principles, policies, decisions, and plans; work actively to make sure our thinking, our actions, and our politics all maintain a high degree of unity with the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary; and conscientiously safeguard the authority of the Central Committee.
Over the past year, we have armed ourselves with the Party's basic theories and used them as a guide in our practice and our work, deepened our study and implementation of the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's major speeches, and strengthened the Standing Committee both theoretically and politically. These efforts have enabled us to align our thinking and action with the guidelines of the Central Committee, keeping us firmly heading in the right political direction.
Strictly adhering to the strategic arrangements set forth by the Central Committee, we made coordinated plans that cover all aspects and major activities in the work of the NPC, including legislation, oversight, decision making, and the work regarding deputies, and ensured that all major policies, plans, and measures of the Central Committee were implemented. We improved the system of requesting instructions and submitting reports. For major issues and tasks in the NPC's work, the Leading Party Members' Group of the Standing Committee promptly requested instructions from and submitted reports to the CPC Central Committee, and we carried out relevant work in accordance with the law and procedures. Upholding the Party's leadership over people's congresses is for ensuring that the Party can exercise leadership over the state and society through organs of political power.
2. We celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC, and strengthened our sense of responsibility and mission in adhering to and improving the system of people's congresses.
On September 5, 2014, the CPC Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the NPC held a commemorative meeting for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC. General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the meeting, in which he reviewed the historic changes in China's political system since modern times and expounded on the historical necessity for the establishment of the system of people's congresses in China. He pointed out that this system provides a fundamental institutional arrangement for integrating leadership by the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the law-based governance of the country, and is the fundamental political system underpinning China's governance system and capacity for governance. He also made it categorically clear that we must firmly adhere to this system and improve it in step with the times, keep to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics, and continue to expand socialist democracy and promote socialist political progress.
Guided by the important principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's above speech, we held a seminar on theory in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC, at which we systematically reviewed China's 60 years of experience implementing the system of people's congresses. This invaluable experience has shown us that we must uphold the leadership of the CPC and ensure it leads the people in governing the country effectively; we must uphold the people's principal position in the country and support and ensure their exercise of state power through the people's congresses; we must remain dedicated to the historical mission of rejuvenating the country and focus our energy on carrying out socialist modernization; we must exercise governance of the country on the basis of law and build China into a socialist rule of law country; we must improve and develop the system of people's congresses in light of China's specific conditions; and we must adhere to democratic centralism and give full play to the features and strengths of the system of people's congresses. We must always keep these lessons firmly in mind and constantly build on them.
The NPC and local people's congresses at all levels organized various kinds of celebrations and commemorative activities to study, publicize, and implement the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech. Encouraged and spurred on by these guiding principles, our deputies have increased their sense of motivation and resolve for keeping to the socialist path of political development with Chinese characteristics.
3. We held activities to celebrate China's first National Constitution Day and channeled great energy into promoting the spirit of the Constitution.
The Constitution is China's fundamental law, and provides a general charter for governing the country.
On the eve of China's first National Constitution Day, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important instructions, within which he emphasized that China's constitution is a good constitution, which is appropriate to the Chinese context, based in reality, and in line with the development of the times, and that the Constitution provides the fundamental legal guarantee for ensuring that China and its people can withstand the test of any kind of difficulty and risk as they continue, with resolve, along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. He also stressed that we must remain committed to integrating leadership by the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the law-based governance of the country; keep resolutely to the path of socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics; and remain dedicated to upholding the authority of the Constitution and all other laws.
In order to thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, we held a forum on intensifying publicity and education on the Constitution and energetically promoting the spirit of the Constitution. At the forum, we emphasized that intensive efforts must be made to strengthen publicity and education on the Constitution so as to instill the spirit of the Constitution into the hearts of the people, rally the people's will and energy, and ensure full enforcement of the Constitution, and that these efforts must be made in light of the modern and contemporary history of China and especially the grand history of the CPC leading the Chinese people in the long period of arduous struggle, in light of the great achievements made in China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization, in light of the experience gained in fully advancing the law-based governance of China, and in combination with our efforts to realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
II. We focused on the key task of improving the quality of legislation and gave full play to the guiding and motivating role of legislation.
Legislation is an important function and power and a major task of the NPC and its Standing Committee. The Standing Committee has given top priority to improving the quality of legislation, highlighted legislative priorities, accelerated the pace of legislative work, and improved the mechanisms for and effectiveness of legislation. Over the past year, we have deliberated on 20 drafts of laws, revised 10 laws, enacted 2 laws, and issued 8 legal interpretations.
1. We have made new progress on a number of major legislative items.
The Environmental Protection Law is a fundamental and comprehensive law regarding the environment. On the basis of conducting in-depth research and broadly soliciting opinions, the Standing Committee approved comprehensive revisions to this law after deliberating, four times, on draft revisions. This was the first time this law has been revised since it was officially put into effect 25 years ago. In response to both general and prominent problems regarding environmental protection, revisions to this law have further clarified the government's supervisory functions and responsibilities; improved the systems for establishing ecological red lines, controlling the total amount of pollutants discharged, and making joint efforts across administrative areas to prevent and control pollution; strengthened the responsibility of enterprises for preventing and controlling pollution; established systems for releasing environmental information, facilitating public participation in pollution control, and filing public interest litigation; and strengthened accountability and administered harsher punishment for violations of the environmental law. The revised Environmental Protection Law also stipulates that people's governments at and above the county level shall report to people's congresses or their standing committees at their respective levels on environmental conditions and the fulfillment of environmental protection targets every year.
Administrative litigation, a system by which people bring the government to court, involves the exercise of government power and the protection of citizens' rights. In response to the new requirements of the new conditions, the Standing Committee made important revisions to the Administrative Procedures Law, which was the first time this law has been revised since it was enacted and put into effect 24 years ago. In revising the Law, we paid great attention to the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations, and helped to promote the law-based exercise of administrative power and impartial administration of justice. With a focus on resolving major difficulties in the filing and trial of administrative litigation and in the enforcement of court rulings, we improved the administrative litigation system by expanding the scope of administrative litigation cases that can be filed, opening up the channels for filing such litigation, making adjustments to jurisdiction over such cases, and standardizing administrative litigation procedures, all of which helped to better solve administrative disputes.
The Legislation Law is an important law that concerns China's legislative system and legislative work. To satisfy the requirements for improving the legislative system and ensuring effective and democratic legislation, the Standing Committee promptly started work on revising the Legislation Law. We revised and improved the law with regard to a number of areas, such as giving full play to the leading role of people's congresses in making laws, improving delegated legislation, and endowing all cities divided into districts with legislative powers. After holding two deliberations, the Standing Committee has submitted the draft revisions of the Legislation Law to this session of the NPC for consideration.
In addition, the Standing Committee formulated the Waterway Law, revised the Military Facilities Protection Law, and deliberated on the draft revisions of the Food Safety Law, the Advertising Law, and the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law, the draft Amendment IX to the Criminal Law, and draft revisions to the Law on Promoting the Application of Scientific and Technological Advances.
2. We helped promote and implement major reform measures through legislation.
We revised the Budget Law, which is of great importance to deepening fiscal and tax reforms and putting in place an all-around, standardized, open, and transparent budgeting system. After four deliberations, the Standing Committee made significant revisions to the Budget Law. We made comprehensive improvements to the Law, making sure all government revenue and expenditure are incorporated into budgets, improving the system of transfer payments and the mechanism for local government debt management, making budgetary work more transparent, advancing performance-based budget management, and strengthening review and oversight by people's congresses over government budgets and final accounts.
Acting in line with the newly revised Budget Law, the State Council made a decision on deepening reform of the budget management system, introduced measures to tighten management over local government debt, and stressed the need to manage public finances in accordance with the law and readily accept oversight.
In order to aid the government in streamlining administration and delegating more powers to lower-level governments, the Standing Committee made revisions to relevant provisions of the Insurance Law, the Securities Law, the Law on Certified Public Accountants, the Government Procurement Law, and the Meteorology Law with a view to delegating the power or canceling the requirement for government review for certain items, thus providing a legal basis and support for reforming the system of government review.
In order to put into effect the integrative approach to national security and accelerate the development of rule of law in our national security efforts, the Standing Committee promptly adjusted its legislative work agenda to strengthen the following efforts. First, we changed the original National Security Law into the Counter-espionage Law to strengthen anti-espionage work. Second, we deliberated on the draft of a new national security law to guide other laws on national security. Third, we deliberated on the drafts of an anti-terrorism law and a law on the management of international NGOs in China to increase the level of rule of law in key areas of our national security efforts.
3. We worked hard to legislate more effectively and democratically.
First, we made full use of the NPC's dominant role in legislative work. Relevant special committees of the NPC led the work of revising major laws such as the Environmental Protection Law, the Legislation Law, and the Administrative Procedures Law. Relevant special committees were also involved in the drafting of laws by the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and jointly carried out research on major issues in the drafting of laws in order to ensure that these drafts are submitted on schedule for consideration.
Second, we continued to attach equal importance to the enactment, revision, abolishment, and interpretation of laws. We made overall plans on enacting new laws and rescinding old ones and on improving coordination and consistency between laws. We strengthened interpretation on laws: we deliberated on and passed seven legal interpretations on relevant provisions of the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law, and formulated an interpretation on citizen name rights as prescribed in the General Principles of Civil Law and the Marriage Law.
Third, we improved the way we carry out legislative work. We refined our efforts to assess draft laws before their promulgation, strengthened debate over legislative items, improved the mechanism whereby legislative bodies of the Standing Committee maintain contact with NPC deputies, and invited NPC deputies to participate in activities such as research and deliberation on legislative items. We studied and drew on public comments and suggestions, and gave prompt explanations and feedback.
III. We made decisions on legal issues in accordance with the law and upheld the authority of the Constitution and all other laws.
Acting in line with the Constitution and other related laws, the Standing Committee promptly made decisions on a number of significant issues, thus ensuring that the Constitution and all other laws were properly enforced and smooth progress was achieved in related work.
1. We made a decision on issues related to the selection of the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) by universal suffrage.
Selecting the chief executive by universal suffrage is a significant issue in the development of the political system of the HKSAR. The NPC Standing Committee has a constitutional responsibility to ensure the proper enforcement of the Basic Law of the HKSAR and to advance the development of Hong Kong's political system in accordance with the law, and thus saw it as necessary to decide a number of key elements and relevant issues relating to the system for selecting the chief executive by universal suffrage. Pursuant to the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the Standing Committee's earlier interpretation of that law and decision on the selection of the chief executive, the Standing Committee adopted the decision on issues relating to the selection of the chief executive of the HKSAR by universal suffrage and on the method for forming its Legislative Council in 2016. This decision provides the principles and direction for the HKSAR to follow in developing concrete methods for selecting its chief executive by universal suffrage. The decision is thus of great significance to fully implementing the principles of "one country, two systems," the people of Hong Kong governing Hong Kong, and the region enjoying a high degree of autonomy; to fully enforcing the Basic Law of the HKSAR; and to ensuring that Hong Kong develops democracy in a gradual and systematic way and successfully selects its chief executive by universal suffrage in accordance with the law in 2017.
2. We made decisions on carrying out trials of accelerated procedures for certain criminal cases and establishing intellectual property rights courts.
In line with the CPC Central Committee's plans for deepening judicial structural reform, the NPC Standing Committee made the decision on authorizing the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate to carry out trials of accelerated procedures for certain criminal cases in some localities and the decision on establishing intellectual property rights courts in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, thus providing a legal basis and support for the efforts to improve criminal litigation procedures and the system of judicial protection for intellectual property rights. We urged relevant departments to conscientiously and properly carry out their part of this work in accordance with the law, sum up their experience in the work, and report their progress to the Standing Committee.
3. We made decisions on authorizing the State Council to make provisional adjustments to the enforcement of certain laws in pilot free trade zones and in 33 pilot counties, county-level cities, and districts.
Acting in line with the Central Committee's reform decisions, and on the basis of careful deliberation of motions put forward by the State Council, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the decision on authorizing the State Council to make provisional adjustments to items requiring government review as prescribed by certain laws for the three new pilot free trade zones in Guangdong, Tianjin, and Fujian, as well as for the extended areas of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and the decision on authorizing the State Council to make provisional adjustments to the enforcement of certain laws in 33 pilot counties, county-level cities, and districts including Daxing District of Beijing. These two decisions provide a legal basis and support for advancing relevant reforms, embodying the principle of pushing forward with reform on the basis of rule of law and increasing the level of rule of law through the process of reform.
4. We made decisions on instituting the National Constitution Day and Martyrs' Day.
In the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the decision on instituting the National Constitution Day, establishing in law December 4th as China's National Constitution Day and further stipulating that the state should carry out various forms of publicity and educational activities pertaining to the Constitution. The establishment of the National Constitution Day is conducive to improving public awareness of the Constitution, fostering the spirit of the Constitution, and strengthening the enforcement of the Constitution.
In recent years, deputies to the NPC, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and people from all sectors of society have, in various ways, made proposals and suggestions on establishing a national day to commemorate revolutionary martyrs and called for improvement in work related to the commemoration of martyrs. Therefore, the Standing Committee adopted the decision on making September 30th Martyrs' Day. This is the third memorial day established by the Standing Committee in accordance with the law, following the Victory Day in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the National Memorial Day for the Nanjing Massacre Victims. The solemn commemoration of such events through memorial activities has greatly promoted patriotism and core socialist values.
The Standing Committee ratified, in accordance with the law, 13 treaties and agreements with foreign countries or international conventions that China concluded, and decided or approved appointments or removals for a number of employees of state bodies.
IV. We made our oversight work more targeted and effective by adhering to a problem-oriented approach.
In order to advance the implementation of major policies and plans of the CPC Central Committee and ensure proper and effective enforcement of the law, the Standing Committee practiced its oversight in accordance with the law, focusing on major issues concerning reform, development, and stability as well as difficult issues which had garnered broad attention from NPC deputies and the public. Over the past year, we listened to and deliberated on 13 work reports from the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, investigated compliance with 4 laws, conducted 3 special inquiries, and carried out research on 4 special topics.
1. We helped promote stable and sound development of the economy.
The Standing Committee listened to and deliberated on the State Council's report on the implementation of the 2013 plan for national economic and social development and the State Council's report on strengthening financial monitoring and regulation to prevent financial risks, and investigated compliance with the Patent Law and the Tourism Law.
With the increase of domestic and international uncertainties and the coming of a new normal in China's economic development, we urged relevant departments to faithfully implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee on economic work, stick to the principle of achieving a stable performance while at the same time securing progress and the idea of promoting reform and innovation, place even greater importance on growth model transformation and structural adjustments, boost domestic demand and especially consumer demand, actively foster new economic growth areas, and enhance the quality and returns of economic growth along with its internal driving force.
We improved the mechanism for coordinating financial monitoring and regulation efforts and effectively prevented and defused financial risks. We have pressed ahead with the strategy of innovation-driven development by strengthening the application and protection of patents, investigating patent infringements and holding those involved accountable in accordance with the law, and encouraging industries to enhance their competitiveness by seeking progress in technological innovation and brand building.
Efforts toward streamlining administration, delegating the power or canceling the requirement for government review for more items, and delegating more powers to lower-level governments have all drawn great attention from NPC deputies and the public. The Standing Committee listened to and deliberated on the State Council's report on deepening reform of the government review system and accelerating the transformation of government functions, and conducted a special inquiry on the matter.
While fully acknowledging the achievements made thus far, the Standing Committee also pointed out that such problems as holding onto the power of review through hidden means, placing superficial work above real results, and ineffective oversight and poor service still exist in some local governments and government bodies. We emphasized that in order to solve these problems, the government must strictly enforce the Administrative Approval Law, make substantive progress in streamlining administration and delegating powers, cancel non-administrative review, and comprehensively enhance the quality of public services it provides.
The State Council acted accordingly to strengthen efforts in streamlining administration and delegating powers to lower levels, and put forth new measures aimed at standardizing practices of review of State Council bodies and improving work relating to government review.
2. We strengthened review and oversight over budgets and final accounts.
In performing its duty of conducting review and oversight over government budgets and final accounts in accordance with the law, the Standing Committee listened to and deliberated over reports on final accounts, auditing work, and the implementation of budgets, and reviewed and approved the central government's final accounts for 2013.
We required the State Council and relevant departments to tighten up budgetary management by improving the system of managing all government revenue and expenditure, refining the system of government debt management, and increasing the review and integration of special transfer payments. We also urged relevant authorities to rectify problems discovered in auditing and ensure accountability for them.
Last December, the State Council reported to the Standing Committee on the rectification and handling of problems discovered in auditing. According to the report, audited departments had rectified problems involving a total of 106.25 billion yuan, the amount of funds recovered or prevented from loss totaled 3.39 billion yuan, and 3,122 regulations were made or improved based on suggestions from the auditing bodies.
The Standing Committee attached great importance to and oversaw the allocation and use of government funds for water conservancy. We made suggestions on increasing and effectively allocating government funds on water conservancy, improving the system of integrated water-related management and the mechanism for sharing the cost of conservation and compensating for impact on water ecosystems, and strengthening management of government funded projects and performance-based management. After overseeing the allocation and use of government funds for science and technology in 2013, we again oversaw allocation and use of government funds in a particular area, in a positive effort to strengthen budget oversight by the NPC.
3. We helped provide safeguards for and improve the standard of living.
The social security system affects the most immediate interests of our people; everyone is concerned about what kind of social security benefits they will be able to depend on in their old age.
The Standing Committee listened to and deliberated on the State Council's report on coordinating efforts to develop urban and rural social security systems, and conducted an inquiry on the issue. We urged relevant government departments to strengthen top-level design, proactively respond to the issue of the aging of the population, improve the system of government spending, divert some state capital to strengthen social security funds, make unified national plans for basic pensions, strengthen supervision and oversight over the investment and operation of social security funds, improve the system for social assistance, and accelerate the formation of a more equitable and sustainable social security system.
Building a new countryside is a historic task in the course of China's modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping has said on several occasions, "Rural living standards are the measure of success in our drive toward moderate prosperity in China."
The Standing Committee has been continuously following up the work regarding agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents. Last year we made promoting the building of a new countryside a topic for our oversight work, and listened to and deliberated on a report concerning this issue. For deep-seated problems hindering agricultural and rural development, we stressed the need to improve the systems and mechanisms for integrating urban and rural development, make the plans for building a new countryside more workable, forward-looking, and inclusive, improve the long-term mechanisms for fiscal and financial support, improve the infrastructure and living environment in rural areas, and comprehensively improve rural basic public services, thereby bringing fundamental changes to rural areas.
In recent years, we have seen the frequent occurrence of accidents involving minors and crimes affecting their safety, an issue which has caused concern among NPC deputies and people from all sectors of society.
In response to this, and with emphasis being placed on the need to protect the safety of minors, the Standing Committee conducted a nationwide inspection of the enforcement of the Law on the Protection of Minors. We pressed for relevant government departments to work together in a coordinated way on this issue, strengthen the protection of minors, crack down on crimes against them in accordance with the law, and create an enabling social environment for caring for and protecting minors.
In addressing judicial irregularities and other problems that have aroused great public concern, the Standing Committee reviewed and deliberated on reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on how to bring judicial and procuratorial activities in line with proper procedures, and urged them to intensify efforts to regulate their activities, improve the credibility of the judiciary, and ensure that people feel justice is served in every case.
At the suggestion of the Standing Committee regarding the above-mentioned reports, the Supreme People's Court took steps toward improving judicial work by stopping the practice of ranking higher people's courts, reforming the system of adjudication committees, and standardizing criminal sentencing; while the Supreme People's Procuratorate worked diligently on implementation of measures, such as the launching of a year-long campaign to better regulate activities in procuratorates all over the country by focusing on eight areas identified for improvement.
4. We worked to promote ecological progress.
In response to strong public complaints about serious air pollution, the Standing Committee inspected the enforcement of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law, focusing on key areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River delta, and the Pearl River delta. We worked to ensure that the government and enterprises take responsibility for the prevention and control of air pollution, and stressed the need to focus on key areas, address problems at the source, better coordinate prevention and control efforts in affected regions, strengthen oversight and supervision over law enforcement, and crack down on illegal behavior.
The State Council forwarded the comments of the Standing Committee to relevant government departments and local authorities, requiring them to carefully study the comments, actively contribute to the all-out drive to prevent and control air pollution, willingly accept the oversight of people's congresses, and earn people's trust by achieving real results.
It was reported in the medium-term evaluation of the implementation of the 12th Five-Year Plan that progress in meeting some obligatory targets set out in the plan for conserving energy and reducing emissions was behind schedule.
To address this problem, the Standing Committee listened to and deliberated on a report of the current state of work concerning energy conservation and emissions reduction. We proposed that conserving energy and reducing emissions should be regarded as important means for transforming the growth model and making structural adjustments, and this work should be carried out with greater resolve and increased efforts; responsibility and accountability systems for meeting energy conservation and emissions reduction targets should be strengthened; and outdated production facilities should be shut down in order to ensure that the targets and tasks set out in the 12th Five-Year Plan are fulfilled.
5. We improved the way we carry out oversight.
First, we ensured oversight and legislation were more closely integrated. The Standing Committee made major revisions to the Workplace Safety Law, increasing the responsibility of production and operations entities and of government oversight and supervision, and intensifying investigations of accountability for workplace safety. At the same time, we listened to and deliberated over a report on the state of workplace safety. The Standing Committee inspected the enforcement of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law. The State Council conscientiously studied and adopted the comments and suggestions put forward by the Standing Committee on the basis of inspections, reviewed the experience it had gained in implementing the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution, then drafted revisions to the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law and submitted them to the Standing Committee for deliberation. We also conducted research on the prevention and control of soil pollution in order to facilitate work in this area and also prepare for enacting a soil pollution prevention and control law.
Second, we improved the way we inspect the enforcement of laws. During our inspections of the enforcement of the Tourism Law, we combined our work of listening to reports and holding forums with random inspections and unannounced visits, and integrated comprehensive inspections with follow-up inspections of and oversight over typical cases. We also reported our findings both orally and via video at a Standing Committee meeting.
Third, we improved our work on special inquiries. Members of the Chairperson's Council led teams to carry out research at the community level, held forums for deputies, conducted questionnaire surveys online, and made issues of common concern to all parties the focus of inquiries in order to fully reflect the concerns of the people and community-level organizations. The State Council attached great importance to the special inquiries of the Standing Committee, and its leaders attended the meetings and earnestly responded to the inquiries, fully embodying the principle and requirement that the government should be responsible to the NPC and should be subject to its oversight.
We worked diligently to put on record and review normative documents. Over the past year, we reviewed, one by one, the 12 administrative regulations formulated by the State Council and the 15 judicial interpretations made by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. At the same time, we conscientiously looked into the comments made by various departments during the review.
V. We respected the principal position of deputies and ensured and improved our services for them.
Deputies to the NPC are members of China's highest organ of state power. Respecting their rights means respecting the rights of the people, and ensuring that the deputies perform their duties in accordance with the law means ensuring that the people serve as masters of the country. The Standing Committee needs the support and participation of the deputies to do its work well.
1. We increased our ties with the deputies to the NPC.
We established and put into practice a sound system for members of the Chairperson's Council and members of the Standing Committee to maintain contact with NPC deputies. Members of the Chairperson's Council maintained direct contact with 87 deputies, and members of the Standing Committee maintained contact with 333 other deputies. Contact and communication with the deputies were maintained through meeting with them, calling them, and keeping up written correspondence with them. We invited deputies to participate in Standing Committee activities, such as research on pending legislation and inspections of the enforcement of laws, and we listened to their comments and suggestions with an open mind.
We continued to increase the participation of NPC deputies in the work of the Standing Committee. Last year we invited more than 300 deputies to attend Standing Committee meetings as non-voting observers, and for the first time, we invited some deputies to take part in the preliminary review of China's annual draft budget and draft plan. We improved the system for keeping deputies informed about important work within the Standing Committee, the special committees, and the working committees, and solicited the opinions of deputies about relevant work. The State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate maintained close ties with deputies and actively responded to the concerns of the deputies and the public.
2. We worked conscientiously in deliberating on deputies' proposals and handling their suggestions.
Special committees completed deliberation on all 468 deputy proposals that were referred to them by the Presidium of the Second Session of the 12th NPC. The Standing Committee has deliberated on and adopted 6 legislative items addressed in 23 of the proposals; has completed the implementation of 4 oversight tasks brought up in 5 proposals; is currently deliberating on 6 legislative items mentioned in 83 proposals; and has included 69 legislative items discussed in 160 proposals in the long-term or annual legislative plans.
In the course of formulating and revising laws, we examined the items that deputies raised in their proposals line by line, proposal by proposal, and invited deputies who had a leading role in each proposal to participate in research for pending legislation as well as in assessments of laws prior to their promulgation. In deliberating on the draft Amendment IX to the Criminal Law, the Standing Committee adopted all relevant suggestions set forth in 81 proposals submitted by deputies to this NPC.
The 8,576 suggestions, criticisms, and comments submitted by deputies have all been handled, and feedback has been given to deputies by the departments handling them; 79.8% of the problems raised have been solved or plans have been made for solving them in due course. The General Office of the Standing Committee intensified coordination in and oversight over the handling of suggestions, selecting 19 key suggestions which had been distilled from 147 suggestions put forth by 611 deputies from 14 delegations.
The competent special committees worked hard to oversee the handling of deputies' suggestions, while the departments handling suggestions conscientiously performed their duties and their leaders actively took part in studies and discussions on how to handle suggestions. As a result, more than 100 policies and measures have been developed, aiding in the resolution of a number of major issues of immediate concern to the people. The State Council devoted an executive meeting exclusively to listening to a report on how deputies' suggestions have been handled, and put forth the requirement that relevant departments must regard the handling of deputies' suggestions as an integral part of improving their own work and accepting the oversight of the people, and that they should plan and carry out this work in coordination with their main duties.
3. We supported and ensured deputies' performance of their duties in accordance with the law.
We encouraged local people's congresses to open up more channels for deputies to maintain contact with the people, put forth guidelines on promoting close ties between deputies and the people through online platforms, improved the system for deputies to maintain contact with the people, and supported deputies in fully giving expression to public sentiment and opinions from the community level.
We organized research on special topics in which more than 1,900 NPC deputies, 65% of all deputies to the NPC, participated and produced 117 reports. These activities laid an important foundation for deputies to perform their duties in accordance with the law. We diligently organized study and training activities for deputies and held four study sessions for NPC deputies, where nearly 1,000 deputies engaged in study and discussion, thereby enhancing the ability of deputies to perform their duties in accordance with the law.
VI. We strengthened contact with local people's congresses and worked together with them to improve and develop the work of people's congresses.
Properly carrying out the work of people's congresses under the new conditions requires the joint effort of the NPC and local people's congresses. In recent years, the Standing Committee has laid stress on maintaining closer working relations with local people's congresses, strengthening work coordination, and developing work exchanges, and has been able to achieve fresh progress in building up synergy in the whole system.
1. We conducted research on the work and development of people's congresses at county and township levels.
The Standing Committee made it an important task to conduct research on the work of local people's congresses and to improve and advance their work. In line with the principle of improving oneself by reviewing and learning from past experiences, we conducted research on the work and development of county- and township-level people's congresses.
Study groups led by members of the Chairperson's Council visited county- and township-level people's congresses to obtain hands-on information about their work and development and discussed with them new ideas and good approaches for improving their work. The working bodies of the Standing Committee formed seven teams to conduct research on the work and development of county- and township-level people's congresses in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, which then produced a number of valuable reports. The China Society for Theoretical Research on the System of People's Congresses also organized relevant seminars, and contributed comments and suggestions in this regard.
On the basis of these studies, we are planning to draw up guiding documents to help strengthen the work and development of people's congresses at county and township levels and to revise and improve relevant laws in due course.
2. We increased efforts to provide study and training sessions and develop work exchanges.
The Standing Committee held four study sessions for leading members of the standing committees of county-level people's congresses, which were attended by over 1,100 county-level standing committee chairpersons or vice-chairpersons from Jilin, Tibet, and nine other provinces and autonomous regions, and achieved positive results.
The Standing Committee invited leading members of the standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses to attend all its meetings as non-voting observers, listened carefully to their comments and suggestions, and organized briefings on a regular basis to promptly inform them about the work of the Standing Committee.
We held a national seminar on local legislation to summarize and exchange ideas about the good experiences and methods in the legislative work of local people's congresses. We invited leading members of local people's congresses' legislative affairs bodies to observe meetings of the Standing Committee. The special committees and working bodies of the Standing Committee strengthened their contact and exchange with relevant bodies of local people's congresses through forums and training sessions.
At the same time, local people's congresses actively supported the work of the NPC, and did a great deal to assist the Standing Committee in carrying out law enforcement inspections, conducting research for pending legislation, ensuring services for deputies, and carrying out foreign relations work, thus greatly helping raise the whole work of people's congresses to a new level.
3. We solicited comments and suggestions from local people's congresses and NPC deputies on the work of the Standing Committee and on the drafting of this work report.
The General Office of the Standing Committee organized 12 research teams. These teams, each led by a leading official at the ministerial level, held forums in localities during which they solicited opinions from leading members of the standing committees of 31 provincial-level people's congresses and from 549 NPC deputies from 35 delegations.
The valuable comments and suggestions we collected during our studies are an expression of the concern and expectations that local people's congresses and NPC deputies have for the work of the NPC, and have been instrumental in helping us improve our work.
VII. We coordinated our foreign relations, information and publicity, and self-improvement work to better serve the central task of economic development as well as the overall interests of the country.
We actively developed contacts with other countries. Focusing on China's national development strategy and its overall interests in reform and opening up, we fully utilized the characteristics and advantages of the NPC's foreign relations and fully advanced friendly exchanges and cooperation with the congresses and parliaments of other countries in order to serve the need of China's overall diplomatic work.
First, we deepened the mechanism for regular exchanges. We successfully held the eighth meeting of the cooperation council consisting of the NPC and the Russian Federation Council, and established the new China-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee consisting of the NPC, the Russian Federation Council, and the State Duma of Russia. We resumed regular exchanges with the Senate of the United States; advanced regular exchanges with the national parliaments and congresses of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Australia, and Chile as well as with the European Parliament; and established a mechanism for regular exchanges with the State Great Hural of Mongolia.
Second, we conducted friendly foreign exchanges on multiple levels and in various ways. We successfully organized the first official visits to Peru, Colombia, and Mexico by Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee; received 53 congressional and parliamentary delegations from countries such as Switzerland, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan; increased exchange between NPC special committees and friendship groups on the one hand and their counterparts in the national parliaments and congresses of other countries on the other; played a constructive role in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, and other parliamentary organizations; and appropriately arranged the overseas trips of the NPC Tibetan Delegation and the NPC Youth Representatives Friendship Delegation. Through these efforts, we made friends in many places, and advanced cooperation and furthered friendship with other countries. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the NPC properly carried out its work, serving the efforts to pool the support and wisdom of overseas Chinese.
Third, we made our foreign contacts more targeted. With a view to safeguarding the overall development of China's foreign relations and serving its national development strategy, we strengthened exchanges concerning state governance experience with our foreign counterparts, provided a good legal and policy environment for deepening China's pragmatic cooperation with other countries, and consolidated the social foundation and public support for the development of China's relations with other countries.
Fourth, we shared both China's story and the story of the NPC. We helped international audiences better understand and identify with China's path of development, its basic national context, and its domestic and foreign policies.
We strengthened the NPC's information and publicity work. Through the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the NPC, China's first National Constitution Day, and the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, as well as other important activities, we worked hard to enhance public knowledge about China's fundamental political system, its basic political systems, and the fundamental law of the country by holding symposiums and forums, producing documentaries, and publishing chronicles of historic events.
We worked to better publicize and give deeper explanations on the NPC's work, such as its legislative, oversight, and diplomatic work as well as its work related to deputies. We also actively publicized representative cases and examples of work within local people's congresses to demonstrate the achievements and diligence of their deputies and staff.
We redoubled our self-improvement efforts. We consistently gave top priority to improving ourselves both theoretically and politically so that we are firm on our shared ideals and convictions and on our political standing, strictly observe the Party's political discipline and regulations, progress in our political awareness, and enhance our awareness of the overall interests of the nation, of shouldering responsibility, and of daring to take on tasks. In compliance with the requirement to constantly improve conduct, we faithfully followed the CPC Central Committee's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct; consolidated and expanded the results achieved in the campaign to study and practice the Party's mass line; and made persistent and determined efforts to help improve Party conduct, uphold integrity, and combat corruption.
We improved the organization of Standing Committee meetings and arranged meetings according to the specific agendas at hand in an effort to raise the quality of deliberation. As members of the Standing Committee were more fully prepared, they were more eager to express their opinions at meetings, and their deliberations were better targeted and produced more tangible results. The system for collective study among members of the Leading Party Members' Group of the Standing Committee was improved, Standing Committee seminars were better organized, and it was ensured that subjects were carefully selected and decided. The principles of learning for the purpose of application, integrating learning with practice, and reviewing practice to promote learning were strongly promoted.
We improved our leadership over the work of special committees while giving full play to the role of these committees. Focusing on the central work of the NPC and its Standing Committee, the special committees diligently studied, deliberated on, and prepared bills; actively conducted inspections of the enforcement of laws, research on special topics, and follow-up oversight; and strengthened deliberation of proposals put forward by NPC deputies and oversight over the handling of their suggestions, thereby contributing to improving the NPC's work.
The bodies of the NPC continued to improve themselves in terms of political integrity, work style, institutions, and competence, and their officials and staff further fortified their ideals and convictions and improved their conduct. All the efforts in this regard have provided an excellent guarantee for serving the NPC and its Standing Committee in performing their functions and duties and carrying out their work in accordance with the law.
Fellow Deputies,
The Standing Committee's achievements and progress last year were made under the correct leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary and are the result of the joint efforts and hard work of NPC deputies, members of the NPC Standing Committee and special committees, and the staff of the bodies of the NPC; the active help and close cooperation of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the local people's congresses at all levels and their standing committees; and the full trust and support of the people of all of China's ethnic groups. On behalf of the NPC Standing Committee, I would like to express sincere gratitude to you all.
We are keenly aware that the Standing Committee's work still leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the requirement for developing the cause of the Party and the country and in terms of the expectations of the deputies and the Chinese people. Some laws are not practical or effective enough to solve real problems; in some cases, oversight work is either not complete or not conducted effectively; and the scope of work related to deputies needs to be expanded while the way we carry out this work needs to be diversified. We will willingly accept the oversight of deputies and the general public, seek comments and suggestions from all sectors of society with an open mind, and constantly strengthen and improve the work of the NPC so that we better perform our functions and powers and carry out our work in accordance with the law.
Major Tasks for This Year
In 2015, the overall requirements for the work of the NPC Standing Committee are as follows: comprehensively implement the guidelines of the 18th National Party Congress and the third and fourth plenary sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee; hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics; follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development; put into practice the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's major speeches; remain committed to integrating leadership by the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the law-based governance of the country; and focus on the strategic goals of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, comprehensively deepening reform, fully advancing law-based governance of China, and promoting all-round strengthening of Party self-conduct as we perform our functions and powers and carry out our work in accordance with the law. We also need to give full play to the NPC's role as the highest organ of state power in building China into a socialist rule of law country; uphold the authority of the Constitution and other laws; promote socialist rule of law; and make new contributions toward achieving the Two Centenary Goals* and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
I. Improving the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics, at the heart of which is the Constitution
As we implement the guidelines of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, we need to begin with legislation, focusing on the key task of improving the quality of legislation. We will coordinate our legislative work with the country's decisions on reform to make sure that all of the country's major reforms have a legal basis, and that legislative work is carried out proactively to meet the needs of reform as well as economic and social development, thereby letting legislation play its role of guiding and driving reform and development.
1. We will improve the systems for enforcing the Constitution and for overseeing its enforcement.
Enforcing the Constitution is a priority and a fundamental task in building China into a socialist rule of law country. Spreading knowledge about the Constitution and establishing and safeguarding its authority among the public must be viewed as major tasks in fully advancing the law-based governance of the country, which should be carried out properly and without delay. We will improve the mechanism by which the NPC and its Standing Committee oversee the enforcement of the Constitution, put in place sound procedures and mechanisms to interpret the Constitution, and develop a system of pledging allegiance to the Constitution for officials assuming office. We will work hard to ensure proper record-keeping and review of normative documents, and to see that, in accordance with legal procedures, any normative document that conflicts with the Constitution or other laws is rescinded or corrected.
2. We will advance legislation in key areas.
Keeping closely in mind the practical needs in the country's economic and social development, we will adopt a coordinated approach with clear priorities and establish legislative tasks in a well-conceived way.
First, we will improve the system of laws for the socialist market economy. We will make revisions to the following laws: the Securities Law, the Law on Promoting the Application of Scientific and Technological Advances, the Seed Law, the Law on the Contracting of Rural Land, and the Advertising Law; we will intensify our efforts to research and begin work on developing a civil code.
Second, we will improve legislation on democracy. We will revise the Electoral Law for the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses, the Organic Law of the Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments, the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and Deputies to Local People's Congresses, and the Law on Administrative Review. We will develop national legislation to fight corruption and work out revisions to the Law on Administrative Supervision.
Third, we will push forward with legislation concerning social issues. We will work on a community correction law, an anti-domestic violence law, a law on traditional Chinese medicine, and a charity law. We will revise the Food Safety Law and the Law on the Red Cross Society, and pass Amendment IX to the Criminal Law.
Note:
* The Two Centenary Goals are to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the CPC celebrates its centenary in 2021; and to turn China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centenary in 2049.
Fourth, we will advance legislation concerning cultural, educational, and ecological issues, work to formulate a law for guaranteeing public cultural services and a law on national medals and titles of honor, and revise the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law as well as educational laws.
Fifth, we will uphold the rule of law in our efforts to advance national security. We will formulate a national security law, an anti-terrorism law, a law on the management of international NGOs in China, and a cyber-security law.
3. We will improve our legislative systems and mechanisms.
The NPC and its Standing Committee will continue to play the dominant role in legislative work. We will make adjustments to the legislative plans of the Standing Committee. We will establish a mechanism by which the NPC's special committees and the working committees of the NPC Standing Committee organize relevant departments to participate in the drafting of major laws, and establish a sound system whereby specialists act as legislative advisors to the special committees of people's congresses and to the working committees of the standing committees of people's congresses. By strengthening the ranks of those working on legislation, we will improve our capacity for carrying out legislative work.
We will ensure that the NPC better organizes and coordinates legislative work and improve the channels and ways through which legislative bodies lead legislation and other sectors of society participate systematically. We will expand the role played by NPC deputies in the drafting and revising of laws by extensively consulting with them, and then following up on and adopting their useful suggestions. We will hold consultations on legislation with a view to putting into practice the guidelines for strengthening the development of socialist consultative democracy.
We will improve the mechanisms by which legislative bodies communicate with the general public, expand the channels for citizens' systematic participation in the legislative process, and enhance the publicity of legislative work. We will create better mechanisms for soliciting comments on legislation from local people's congresses, and explore ways of staying connected to local communities on legislative issues. We will continue to improve our legislative work by making legislation more targeted and refining the legislative process.
II. Strengthening oversight over compliance with laws and over the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate
General Secretary Xi Jinping stated that "the important principle behind the system of people's congresses and the basic requirement of its institutional design are to subject the exercise of power by all state organs and their employees to constraints and oversight." The NPC and its Standing Committee must perform their constitutional and legal duties of oversight and safeguard the unity, sanctity, and authority of the country's legal system.
1. We will increase efforts to monitor and inspect compliance with laws.
Adapting to the new situation in fully advancing the law-based governance of the country, we will facilitate the State Council's efforts toward carrying out administration in accordance with the law and the efforts of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate to administer justice in an impartial way, ensuring that laws are enforced properly and effectively.
We will arrange inspections of compliance with the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, the Law on the Protection of Consumers' Rights and Interests, the Agriculture Law, the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, the Law on Guaranteeing the Rights and Interests of Senior Citizens, and the Law on Vocational Education. We will intensify efforts to inspect law enforcement and make our work in this regard more authoritative, targeted, and effective.
2. We will step up oversight over the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Adapting to the new normal in the country's economic development, we will give impetus to implementing the major policies and plans of the CPC Central Committee.
We will listen to and deliberate on reports from the State Council regarding its work and progress in promoting deeper integrated development of information technology and industrialization through the application of new advances in information technology, facilitating development of the pilot free trade zones, developing the system of public cultural services, stabilizing and improving rural land contract relations, and deepening reform of the medical and health care systems.
We will strengthen oversight over judicial activities, and listen to and deliberate on the Supreme People's Court's report on judgments in administrative cases and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's report on its oversight over the enforcement of penal decisions.
3. We will strengthen oversight over budgets and final accounts.
Examining and approving government budgets and final accounts and overseeing the implementation of budgets are legally mandated powers of all levels of people's congresses and their standing committees.
The revised Budget Law has made new provisions and set forth new requirements concerning the scope of government budgets and final accounts subject to review and oversight, the review procedures and areas of priority, and the bodies charged with exercising oversight and their responsibilities. We will make the most of the opportunity that comes with implementing the revised Budget Law to earnestly strengthen review and oversight over budgets and final accounts.
We will listen to and deliberate over reports on the government's final accounts, auditing work, and implementation of budgets, and review and approve the central government's final accounts for 2014. We will listen to and deliberate on a report from the State Council on strengthening the management of government debt, and carry out research on how to improve budgeting for state capital operations.
We will continue to explore ways to improve oversight work in order to make it more targeted and effective. We will strengthen the role of special inquiries, and carry out special inquiries during our listening to and deliberation over reports on inspections of the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution and the Law on Vocational Education.
We will strengthen follow-up oversight, and make arrangements for listening to and deliberating on the State Council's feedback report on how it has responded to our report on inspections of the enforcement of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law and our comments, as well as its report on its work to correct the serious problems uncovered through auditing.
We will carry out research on certain major issues in compiling the 13th Five-Year Plan and make arrangements for listening to and deliberating on the reports produced therein.
III. Deepening and expanding work related to deputies
General Secretary Xi Jinping has made it clear that "state organs at all levels and their employees must use their authority and perform their duties to benefit and serve the people; adopt the idea that strengthening ties with the deputies to people's congresses and the general public is an integral part of being responsible to the people and accepting their oversight; and listen to the comments and suggestions of deputies and the people with an open mind."
The Standing Committee must take the lead in conscientiously putting these requirements into practice; actively respond to people's concerns by strengthening contact with them and the NPC deputies in more areas and through a wider variety of channels; be where the people need it to be; voluntarily accept the oversight of the people; and constantly improve the work of the NPC.
We will uphold and improve the system by which members of the Chairperson's Council and the Standing Committee maintain direct contact with NPC deputies, and support and ensure deputies' efforts to listen extensively to the people's suggestions regarding the legislative and oversight topics of the Standing Committee and proactively deliver these suggestions to the Standing Committee.
We will see that the Standing Committee, the special committees, and the working committees inform deputies of important developments in the work of the NPC and solicit their comments and suggestions on these developments, and make sure this work becomes regular practice. We will improve the system of soliciting suggestions from deputies on the drafting of laws.
We will see to it that the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate hold forums for NPC deputies at regular or irregular intervals to listen to deputies' views on their major decisions and endeavors, and thus expand the avenues by which deputies learn about state affairs and developments.
We will introduce guidelines on helping deputies maintain contact with the people in order to foster closer ties between deputies and the people. We will set up a platform for NPC deputies to better perform their duties, and encourage them to participate in the activities of the liaison offices of their respective local people's congresses. Through these efforts to extensively and directly listen to people's suggestions and to give expression to social conditions and public sentiment, we will be able to better pool together and draw from the wisdom of the people. We will organize NPC deputies from relevant sectors to carry out research on issues of wide public concern which we have chosen and create proposals and suggestions.
We will give full play to the role of deputies, and strengthen our capacity to help them perform their duties in accordance with the law. We will improve the system of study and training for deputies as well as mechanisms to raise their ability and professional competence.
We will refine the mechanisms for deliberating on deputies' proposals and better integrate the deliberation of their proposals with legislative work. We will improve the mechanisms for handling deputies' suggestions, by helping the organizations to which deputies' suggestions are referred strengthen direct communication and contact with deputies, so that these organizations can effectively improve their work and relevant policies to solve problems. We will actively and steadily make public the suggestions of deputies and the outcomes they produce.
We will improve deputies' political integrity and conduct, support electoral bodies in improving their mechanisms for oversight in accordance with the law, and monitor and encourage deputies in the performance of their duties so that they work diligently and in accordance with the law and the codes of discipline.
The case of vote buying that occurred in the city of Hengyang, Hunan Province, was severely dealt with in accordance with the law and the codes of discipline. We must take this profound lesson to heart, and improve relevant institutions to close all loopholes. We must effectively strengthen the Party's leadership over the election of deputies to people's congresses, be strict in the election of deputies, follow procedures strictly in accordance with the law, make full use of the role of the standing committees of people's congresses at all levels, improve the mechanisms for reviewing deputies' qualifications, and tighten oversight over the whole process of electing deputies in order to ensure that elections are carried out honestly.
We will do our best in carrying out the NPC's foreign relations work in light of the overall plans of the CPC Central Committee for the country's diplomatic work. We will strengthen the mechanisms for regular exchanges with foreign parliaments and congresses and increase our friendly foreign contacts at all levels so as to consolidate the social foundation and public support for developing long-term stable relations between China and other countries. We will work to create a favorable external environment for domestic development; play an active and positive role in accelerating the country's pace of "going global", promoting the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and protecting China's legitimate rights and interests overseas; and better comply with and serve China's national development strategy.
We will make solid steps forward in strengthening the Standing Committee's self-improvement, increase our sense of political responsibility as representatives of the people in exercising the power of managing the country, and concentrate our work and efforts on implementing the CPC Central Committee's major policies and plans. We will follow the principle of rule of law in our thinking and action to improve and develop the work of the NPC, and play an exemplary role in respecting, studying, abiding by, and applying the law. We will continue to increase contact with local people's congresses and hold conferences on the work of the NPC. We will put in place long-term mechanisms for making persistent efforts to improve the manner in which we carry out our work. We will improve the bodies of the NPC, and build a highly competent team devoted to legislative work and the work of the NPC as a whole. The bodies of the NPC must support the work of the discipline inspection groups sent to them by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and readily accept oversight.
Fellow Deputies,
The mission that this age has tasked us with is honorable yet formidable, and the expectations that the people have of us are great and deep-felt. Let us rally closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary as we work to break new ground and make solid progress. Let us make full use of the important role of the NPC and its Standing Committee as we advance in the great course of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, comprehensively deepening reform, fully advancing law-based governance of the country, and promoting all-round strengthening of Party self-conduct. Let us work hard to make new contributions toward achieving the Two Centenary Goals and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!