The Criminal Law Amendment (XII) [刑法修正案（十二）] (adopted on Dec. 29, 2023) takes effect on March 1.
China’s 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene for its second session on Tuesday, March 5. The session’s tentative agenda includes the following items:
- Deliberate the Government Work Report;
- Deliberate work reports by the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate;
- Review a report on the implementation of the 2023 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the draft 2024 Plan for National Economic and Social Development; and review the draft 2024 Plan for National Economic and Social Development;
- Review a report on the execution of the 2023 Central and Local Budgets and on the draft 2024 Central and Local Budgets; and review the draft 2024 Central and Local Budgets; and
- Deliberate a draft revision to the State Council Organic Law [国务院组织法].
On March 4, the NPC session will convene for a preparatory meeting to select members of the Presidium (an ad hoc body of around 170 members that will preside over the session) and to finalize the session’s agenda. The Presidium will then immediately meet to decide on the session’s daily schedule and designate a spokesperson. Shortly thereafter the session is expected to hold its first press conference.
If the NPC is going to fill the vacancies on the State Council and the Central Military Commission created by the removal of Qin Gang and Li Shangfu last year, such an agenda item is expected to be first revealed on March 4, either at the press conference or through the session’s agenda and daily schedule.
The NPC’s 2024 session will likely close on March 11, based on a recent notice from the Beijing police on controlling the use of certain low-flying aircraft during the event. All reports and bills submitted for review are expected to be approved on the last day.