Anticipating 2013 NPC and CPPCC Sessions

by Su Yuan

This year marks the first year since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC） convened and the Partys central leadership successfully transitioned to the next generation. For this reason， the first annual sessions of the 12th National Peoples Congress （NPC） and the 12th National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference（CPPCC）， which are scheduled to take place in March 2013， are particularly significant， having evoked great expectations.

The transition of state leadership will be one of the most important issues on the agenda of this years sessions. By February 2013， all provincial-level peoples congresses and CPPCC committees conducted elections for new leadership in their respective regions. This years NPC and CPPCC annual sessions have seized public attention because Chinas new president， vice-president， chairman of the NPC Standing Committee， premier of the State Council， chairman of the CPPCC National Committee， chairman of the Central Military Commission， president of the Supreme Peoples Court， and procurator-general of the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate will all be elected at the meetings. Xi Jinping is predicted to be elected Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission， and Li Keqiang is expected to succeed Wen Jiabao as premier of the State Council. Zhang Dejiang and Yu Zhengsheng， both members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau， are expected to become heads of the NPC Standing Committee and the CPPCC National Committee， respectively.

New policies from the newly elected government have also been foreseen. The Central Economic Work Conference held in late 2012 already set guidelines for the countrys economic development for the next few years. After the 18th CPC Na- tional Congress， the Partys top leaders including Xi Jinping expressed concern about corruption and poverty， and remained rigidly thrifty during inspection tours， signaling that CPC central leadership attaches great importance to the public livelihood and issues that are important to everyday people. The public is anticipating the enactment of important measures concerning their livelihood and social security during the pending NPC and CPPCC annual sessions.

Reform remains a hot topic. Since the 18th CPC National Congress， Li Keqiang has pointed out many times that reform will pay the biggest dividends for China. However， exactly how to continue the path of reform has drawn wide speculation both at home and abroad. Future reform measures will definitely involve both system and structure. Many haveforecast that decisions to adjust the organizational structure of the State Council will be made at this years NPC and CPPCC sessions.

NPC and CPPCC are major forms of Chinese democracy. As the countrys supreme organ of state power， NPC exercises the legislative power of the state and the functions and powers to elect president of the Peoples Republic of China， chairman of the Central Military Commission， members of the State Council， president of the Supreme Peoples Court， procurator-general of the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate， and many other important positions. NPC is composed of deputies elected according to law from each Chinese province， autonomous region， and municipality directly under the Central Government， as well as special administrative regions and deputies elected from the armed forces.

CPPCC is a political advisory group comprised of representatives with social influence from all walks of life. Members of the CPPCC National Committee are chosen by appointment after consultation and recommendations rather than election.

In recent years， Chinas NPC and CPPCC systems have consistently improved. For instance， to enhance the authority and efficiency of regional peoples congresses， leaders concurrently serve as secretaries of CPC committees of respective regions. Currently， chairpersons of peoples congresses of 24 of Chinas 31 provinces， municipalities， and autonomous regions are also secretaries of Party committees in their respective regions. Moreover， deputies to NPC and CPPCC are now considerably younger. Previously， members were usually retired officials and Party committee members. However， as increasing numbers of younger elites are elected or invited into NPC and CPPCC， the two organs will better fulfill their functions.

The public is anticipating the enactment of important measures concerning their livelihood and social security during the pending NPC and CPPCC annual sessions.