Reporters' Log

China's top legislature ends annual session

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-13 09:12

Beijing -- The Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded here Friday morning after completing its nine-day agenda.

The closing meeting of the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2009.[Xinhua] CPPCC concludes annual session

The meeting was presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. President Hu Jintao and other top leaders attended the closing meeting.

Full coverage:  NPC and CPPCC 2009 Related readings: Top legislator delivers NPC Standing Committee work report Employment top issue for NPC Highlights of NPC chairman Wu Bangguo's work report Differences stressed between China's NPC and western systems China Daily looks into NPC 2009 China top planner submits annual report to NPC Backgrounder: election of NPC deputies

Nearly 3,000 deputies throughout the country attended the annual legislative session during March 5-13 which called for unison actions to combat downturn amid the global financial crisis.

Observers believe the regular annual session is by no means "common" as it has issued a nationwide "mobilization order" and deployed work for the nation in a year with the severest economic situation.

It was the first parliamentary full session for China since the worldwide financial meltdown started last year.

Lawmakers endorsed a government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao on March 5 that called on the nation to promote economic and social development and outlined an all-around stimulus plan to shore up economy amid global downturn.

Wen's report was approved with 2,824 votes from the 2,898 NPC deputies present at the closing meeting.

Wen said in the report that the country is "able to achieve" an economic growth at about 8 percent as long as right policies are implemented.

Prior to the ratification, the State Council, or cabinet, made 17 modifications, including seven major ones, to the government work report according to the opinions of legislators and political advisors.

While delivering a closing speech, Wu Bangguo hailed this NPC session as a "complete success".

He said NPC deputies have "earnestly" performed their duty according to the law and actively put forward proposals.

The NPC session received 518 motions, covering economy, politics, culture, society and ecology, according to Wang Wanbin, vice secretary-general of the legislative session.

Wu said, "The resolutions adopted by the session fully embody the unity of the (Communist) Party's outlook and the people's will, and reflect a shared wish of people of all ethnic groups."

The nation is still facing "hardships and challenges", he said, adding people should work hard and strive to embrace the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China with new achievements.

At the closing meeting, the legislators also adopted resolutions on the national development plan, budgets, and the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese people exercise their state power.

In 1953, China held people's congresses at different levels. In 1954, the First National People's Congress was convened, marking the establishment of the people's congress system in China.

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