The National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are the stage for the Chinese people to exercise their political power and discuss about political affairs. Last March, more than 5,000 NPC deputies and CPPCC members gathered in Beijing to discuss and approve amendments to the Constitution, the National Supervision Law and scheme of the State Council restructuring. They also reviewed the government work report. These moves are not only the response of China to the external environment, but also the organizational guarantee and action plan for its development blueprint in the new era proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
NPC deputies and CPPCC members come from various regions, ethnic groups, democratic parties, and all walks of life. They come from the people and voice people’s demands through a variety of institutionalized channels. The annual two sessions are one of the important channels. Their duty performance and suggestions have brought the final unity of the Party and the government’s governance objectives in line with the people’s longing for a better life.
The amendments to the Constitution intensified “the leadership of the CPC,” and the CPC represents the interests of the people. Therefore, President Xi Jinping clearly stated at the closing meeting of the 13th NPC annual session that “CPC must always be the mainstay of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation.”
During the 40 years of reform and opening-up, China has grown from an underdeveloped country where almost half of the population were impoverished, to a gradually affluent country with per capita gross national income of US $8,800 and the proportion of poverty-stricken population is only 3.1 percent. People have higher demands for democracy, the rule of law, fairness, justice, security, and the environment. They want to live in dignity.
The newly revised Constitution clearly stipulates the country’s fundamental tasks, development paths, and goals. All aspects regarding the country’s development and its governance such as economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology have been reflected in the newly revised Constitution with specific requirements set. The move can further advance the progress of the country and provide a guarantee for people to enjoy a happy life.
After Xi Jinping was re-elected as the president of China, he took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, which showed China’s determination to govern the country according to laws and the Constitution. At the same time, it also shows his belief in the people and his determination to seek happiness for the people and lead the Chinese nation toward national rejuvenation.
The new Constitution establishes the legal status of the supervisory commission as a state institution, exercises supervision rights on behalf of the Party and the country, and covers all public officials. This move is a major adjustment to China’s political system, political power, and political relations. The major top-level design can improve the self-monitoring system of the Party and the country and provide institutional guarantees for fighting corruption. This move has won people’s support.
As China’s economy enters a stage featuring high-quality development, the modernization of governance systems is urgently needed, and responsibilities, roles, and powers of state agencies have to be readjusted. Therefore, the State Council’s institutional restructuring have been introduced with unprecedented intensity and scope. Taking the environmental protection field as an example, a new Ministry of Ecology and Environment was established to integrate functions related to natural resources and ecological environment protection, which is more conducive to preservation of the environment. The reform of the financial supervision system directly leads to the merging of the China Banking Regulatory Commission and China Insurance Regulatory Commission, in a bid to avoid regulatory vacancies and regulatory arbitrage, which will help promote financial reform and opening-up and maintain the stability of the entire financial industry.
These important reforms generate a new framework of decision-making power, executive power, and supervisory power for the country. It is a very profound reform and has a direct bearing on people’s well-being.
As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech, “Only when people have confidence, will the country have a bright future and strength.”
He pointed out that the new era belongs to everyone, and everyone is a witness, pathfinder, and builder of the new era.
