BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s nearly 3,000-member National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s legislature, kicked off its annual gathering in Beijing on Sunday, with delegates set to review government reports and choose its leaders for the next five years.
This year also marks the start of China’s country’s 14th legislature, whose delegates serve five-year terms. When the full parliament is not in session, laws can be passed by the NPC Standing Committee.
Following is a schedule in local time (eight hours ahead of GMT) for the session, which ends on March 13.
Date Time Schedule
Sunday, 9 a.m. First plenary meeting of the NPC (opening
March 5 ceremony)
(1) Hear the annual government work
report by Premier Li Keqiang
(2) Review the annual report by the
National Economic and Reform Commission,
and the draft plan for national economic
and social development in 2023
(3) Review the annual budget report by
the finance ministry on the execution of
the central and local budgets for 2022
and on the draft central and local
budgets for 2023
(4) Hear an explanation of the draft
amendments to the Legislation Law by Wang
Chen (13th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC)
Vice Chairman)
(5) Vote on the draft decision on
establishing special committees
(6) Vote on the draft voting method for
directors, vice directors and members of
the special committees
(7) Vote on the draft candidate lists of
directors, vice directors and members of
the Constitution and Law Committee
(8) Vote on the draft candidate lists of
directors, vice directors and members of
the Economic Affairs Committee
3 p.m. NPC delegates deliberate on the
government work report
Monday, 9 a.m. Delegates deliberate the government work
March 6 report in small groups
3 p.m. Delegates review in small groups the
report on development plans and draft
2023 development plan, and the report on
the budgets and the draft 2023 budgets
Tuesday, 9 a.m. Delegates review the draft amendments to
March 7 the Legislation Law in small groups
3 p.m. Second plenary meeting of NPC
(1) Hear the NPCSC’s work report from Li
Zhanshu (13th NPCSC Chairman)
(2) Hear the Supreme People’s Court
(SPC)’s work report from Zhou Qiang (SPC
President)
(3) Hear the Supreme People’s
Procuratorate (SPP)’s work report from
Zhang Jun (SPP Procurator-General)
(4) Hear an explanation of the
reorganisation plan of the State Council
by Xiao Jie (State Councillor &
Secretary-General of the State Council)
Wednesday, 9 a.m. Delegates deliberate on the NPCSC’s work
March 8 report in small groups
3 p.m. Delegates in small groups deliberate on a
revisions to draft amendments to the
Legislation Law, the State Council
institutional reform plan, and draft
measures on elections and appointments of
the first plenary session of the 14th
NPC, and recommend ballot officials
Thursday, 9 a.m. Delegates deliberate on the SPC’s and
March 9 SPP’s work reports in small groups
3 p.m. NPC delegates deliberate on the draft
decision on the State Council
institutional reform plan and conduct
deliberations and consultations on
candidates for China’s president, Central
Military Commission (CMC) chairperson,
14th NPCSC chairperson,
vice-chairpersons, and secretary-general,
and China’s vice-president
Friday, 9 a.m. Third plenary meeting of the NPC
March 10
(1) Vote on the draft decision on the
State Council institutional reform plan
(2) Vote on the draft measures on
elections and appointments of the first
plenary session of the 14th NPC
(3) Vote on a draft list of ballot
officials
(4) Elect China’s president
(5) Elect the CMC chairperson
(6) Elect the 14th NPCSC chairperson,
vice-chairpersons, and secretary-general
(7) Elect China’s vice-president
3 p.m. NPC delegates deliberate on nominees for
the State Council premier, CMC
vice-chairpersons and members, and
conduct deliberations and consultations
on candidates for the State Supervision
Commission (SSC) chairperson, SPC
president, SPP procurator-general, and
rank-and-file NPCSC members
Saturday, 9 a.m. Fourth plenary meeting of NPC
March 11
(1) Appoint China’s premier
(2) Appoint the CMC vice-chairpersons and
members
(3) Elect the SSC chairperson
(4) Elect the SPC president
(5) Elect the SPP procurator-general;
(6) Elect rank-and-file NPCSC members
3 p.m. NPC delegates deliberate on nominees for
State Council vice-premiers, state
councillors, ministers, commission
directors, governor of the People’s Bank
of China (PBOC), auditor general,
secretary-general of the State Council;
and directors, deputy directors and
members of NPC special committees
including Ethnic Affairs Committee,
Supervisory and Judicial Affairs
Committee, Education, Science, Culture,
and Public Health Committee, Foreign
Affairs Committee, Overseas Chinese
Affairs Committee, Environmental
Protection and Resources Conservation
Committee, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee, and Social Development Affairs
Sunday, 9 a.m. Fifth plenary meeting of NPC
March 12
(1) Appoint the State Council
vice-premiers, state councillors,
ministers, commission directors, PBOC
governor, auditor general, and
secretary-general of the State Council
(2) Vote on draft lists of directors,
deputy directors and members of NPC
special committees including Ethnic
Affairs Committee, Supervisory and
Judicial Affairs Committee, Education,
Science, Culture, and Public Health
Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee,
Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee,
Environmental Protection and Resources
Conservation Committee, Agriculture and
Rural Affairs, and Social Development
Affairs
3 p.m. Delegates deliberate in small groups on
six draft resolutions on the government
work report, annual development plans,
annual budgets, the NPCSC’s work report,
SPC’s work report, and SPP’s work report,
respectively
Monday, 9 a.m. Sixth plenary meeting of the NPC (closing
March 13 ceremony)
(1) Vote on the draft resolution on the
government work report
(2) Vote on the draft resolution on the
draft amendment to the Legislation Law by
the NPC
(3) Vote on the draft resolution on the
implementation of the 2022 plan and on
the 2023 draft plan for national economic
and social development
(4) Vote on the draft resolution on the
execution of the central and local
budgets for 2022 and on the draft central
and local budgets for 2023
(5) Vote on the draft resolution on the
NPCSC’s work report
(6) Vote on the draft resolution on the
SPC’s work report
(7) Vote on the draft resolution on the
SPP’s work report
(8) Speech by China’s president
(9) Speech by the 14th NPCSC chairperson
(Reporting by Qiaoyi Li and Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard)
