The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Ecological Conservation Law [青藏高原生态保护法] (adopted on Apr. 26, 2023) and Barrier-Free Environments Development Law [无障碍环境建设法] (adopted on June 28, 2023) take effect on September 1.

On September 1, the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC)—

• revised the Administrative Reconsideration Law [行政复议法];
• adopted the Foreign State Immunity Law [外国国家豁免法];
• amended the Civil Procedure Law [民事诉讼法]; and
• renewed a pilot program that makes it easier for eligible lawyers licensed in Hong Kong or Macao to practice mainland civil and commercial law in nine mainland cities in Guangdong province.

The NPCSC is soliciting public comment on the following bills through September 30:

• draft revision to the Company Law [公司法];
• draft Value-Added Tax Law [增值税法];
• draft Preschool Education Law [学前教育法];
• draft Academic Degrees Law [学位法]; and
• draft revision to the Public Security Administrative Punishments Law [治安管理处罚法].

The 14^th NPCSC may convene a quinquennial legislative work conference and release its five-year legislative plan some time this month.

The NPCSC will convene for its next regularly scheduled session in late October.

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in August 2023 at our monthly newsletter.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is seeking public comment on a draft Criminal Law Amendment (XII) [刑法修正案（十二）] through August 24.

The 14^th NPCSC will convene for its 5^th session in late August. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-August to decide on the agenda and dates of the session.

According to the NPCSC’s 2023 legislative work plan, the following bills will return for further review:

• draft revision to the Company Law [公司法];
• draft Value-Added Tax Law [增值税法];
• draft amendment to the Civil Procedure Law [民事诉讼法]; and
• draft amendment to the Administrative Litigation Law [行政诉讼法].

The NPCSC is likely to extend a pilot program allowing eligible lawyers licensed in Hong Kong or Macao to practice mainland law in nine Guangdong cities after passing a special bar exam. It is also expected to review one or more additional bills at its upcoming session.

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in July 2023 at our monthly newsletter.

The revised Counterespionage Law [反间谍法] (adopted on Apr. 26, 2023) and the Foreign Relations Law [对外关系法] (adopted on June 28, 2023) take effect on July 1.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is soliciting public comment on the following bills through July 27:

• draft revision to the Administrative Reconsideration Law [行政复议法];
• draft revision to the Marine Environmental Protection Law [海洋环境保护法]；
• draft Patriotic Education Law [爱国主义教育法]; and
• draft Law on Ensuring Food Security [粮食安全保障法].

The NPCSC will convene for its next regularly scheduled session in late August.

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in June 2023 at our monthly newsletter.

The 14^th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) will convene for its 3^rd session in late June. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-June to decide on the agenda and dates of the session.

According to the NPCSC’s 2023 legislative work plan, the following bills will return for further review:

• draft Foreign Relations Law [对外关系法];
• draft revision to the Administrative Reconsideration Law [行政复议法];
• draft revision to the Marine Environmental Protection Law [海洋环境保护法]; and
• draft Foreign State Immunity Law [外国国家豁免法].

The NPCSC is expected to review one or more additional bills at its upcoming session.

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in May 2023 at our monthly newsletter.

The revised Wild Animals Protection Law [野生动物保护法] (adopted on Dec. 30, 2022) takes effect on May 1.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is soliciting public comment on a draft Barrier-Free Environments Development Law [无障碍环境建设法] through May 25.

The NPCSC is expected to release its annual plans on legislative, oversight, and delegates work for 2023 soon after the Labor Day holiday (ending on May 3).

It will convene for its next regularly scheduled session in late June.

This post was updated on May 2, 2023. The original version is archived here.

The Yellow River Protection Law [黄河保护法] (adopted on Oct. 30, 2022) took effect on April 1.

On April 14, the Council of Chairpersons held a meeting where it—

• decided to convene the second session of the 14^th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC);
• approved the NPCSC’s 2023 plans on legislative, oversight, and delegates work, which so far have not been released; and
• revised the Council’s rules of procedure, rules of procedure for the NPCSC Secretary-General’s meetings, measures for personnel appointments and removals by the NPCSC, working procedures for NPCSC sessions, and measures for Council members’ implementation of the Communist Party’s austerity rules—which are unlikely to be made public.

The 14^th NPCSC held its second session from April 24 to April 26. On April 26, it adopted—

• the revised Counterespionage Law [反间谍法], which takes effect on July 1, 2023;
• the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Conservation Law [青藏高原生态保护法], which takes effect on September 1, 2023; and
• the revised Code of Conduct for Constituent Members of the NPCSC [全国人民代表大会常务委员会组成人员守则], which took immediate effect.

The session also reviewed a draft Barrier-Free Environments Development Law [无障碍环境建设法], on which the NPCSC began seeking public comment on April 26.

Finally, the session reviewed the State Council’s reports on the environmental conditions and fulfillment of environmental protection targets in 2022 and on work relating to overseas Chinese in the New Era; and appointed the constituent members of the 14^th NPCSC Delegate Credentials Committee.

On April 26, the 14^th NPCSC held four educational lectures for its constituent members on the following topics:

• China’s constitutional system and practice;
• the NPCSC’s organizational structure and rules of procedure;
• improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics; and
• studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s key thoughts on upholding and improving the people’s congress system.

This post was updated on April 18, 2023. The original version is archived here.

The revised Animal Husbandry Law [畜牧法] (adopted on Oct. 30, 2022) and the Reservists Law [预备役人员法] (adopted on Dec. 30, 2022) took effect on March 1.

The 14^th National People’s Congress (NPC) held its inaugural session from March 5 to 13. It approved the State Council Institutional Reform Plan [国务院机构改革方案] on March 10, and the following documents on March 13:

• an amendment to the Legislation Law [立法法];
• annual work reports of the State Council, the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP);
• the 2023 National Economic and Social Development Plan and accompanying Ministry of Finance report; and
• the 2023 Central Budget and accompanying National Reform and Development Commission report.

In addition, the NPC adopted a decision to establish the 14^th NPC’s special committees on March 5, and voted to fill the following state positions throughout the session:

• March 5: chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, and members of the 14^th NPC Constitution and Law Committee and the 14^th NPC Financial and Economic Affairs Committee.
• March 10: PRC president and vice-president; chairperson of the Central Military Commission (CMC); and chairperson, vice-chairpersons, and secretary-general of the 14^th NPCSC.
• March 11: premier of the State Council; vice-chairpersons and members of the CMC; chairperson of the State Supervision Commission; president of the SPC; procurator-general of the SPP; and rank-and-file members of the 14^th NPCSC.
• March 12: vice-premiers, state councilors, departmental heads, and secretary-general of the State Council; and chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, and members of the other NPC special committees.

For the full texts of aforementioned documents (including any English translation), outcomes of the votes (if available), and our related coverage, please see this page.

On March 14, the 14^th NPCSC held its first session, at which it appointed five deputy secretaries-general.

The amendment to the Legislation Law (adopted on Mar. 13) took effect on March 15.

The 20^th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China will convene for its Second Plenum late this month. The Plenum is expected to propose nominees for senior leadership positions within key state institutions and to refer them to the 1^st session of the 14^th NPC (due to convene on March 5, 2023). The Plenum will also likely adopt a reorganization plan for the State Council, which would be submitted to the 1^st session of the 14^th NPC for review.

The 13^th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) will convene for its 39^th—and final—regularly scheduled session late this month. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-February to decide on the agenda and dates of the session.

The NPCSC will mostly make preparations for the 2023 NPC session at its upcoming meeting, including by certifying the results of the recently concluded elections of delegates to the 14^th NPC, but it is still likely to review one or two legislative bills. Possible candidates include the draft revision to the Counterespionage Law [反间谍法] and the draft Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Ecological Conservation Law [青藏高原生态保护法].

The following laws take effect on January 1:

• revised Sports Law [体育法] (adopted on June 24, 2022);
• revised Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Law [农产品质量安全法] (adopted on Sept. 2, 2022); and
• revised Women’s Rights and Interests Protection Law [妇女权益保障法] (adopted on Oct. 30, 2022).

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is soliciting public comment on the following bills through January 28:

• draft amendment to the Legislation Law [立法法];
• draft revision to the Company Law [公司法];
• draft revision to the Counterespionage Law [反间谍法];
• draft Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Ecological Conservation Law [青藏高原生态保护法];
• draft Marine Environmental Protection Law [海洋环境保护法]
• draft Rural Collective Economic Organizations Law [农村集体经济组织法];
• draft revision to the Charity Law [慈善法];
• draft Value-Added Tax Law [增值税法];
• draft Financial Stability Law [金融稳定法]
• draft Foreign Sovereign Immunity Law [外国国家豁免法];
• draft amendment to the Civil Procedure Law [民事讼诉法];
• draft amendment to the Administrative Litigation Law [行政诉讼法]; and
• draft Foreign Relations Law [对外关系法].

In accordance with a March 2022 NPC decision (discussed here), the roughly 3,000 delegates to the 14^th NPC will be elected by the end of this month.

The 13^th NPCSC will convene for its final regularly scheduled session in late February.

The Law Against Telecom and Online Fraud [反电信网络诈骗法] (adopted on Sept. 2, 2022) takes effect on December 1.

December 4 is the 40^th anniversary of China’s current Constitution. General Secretary Xi Jinping is expected to give a speech to mark the occasion at a high-profile commemorative event to be held in Beijing.

The 13^th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is expected to convene for its 38^th session in late December. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-December to decide on the agenda and dates of the session. The session is expected to review the draft Reservists Law [预备役人员法] and the draft revision to the Wild Animals Protection Law [野生动物保护法]. It is also likely to review the following bills:

• draft revision to the Company Law [公司法];
• draft Emergency Response and Management Law [突发事件应对管理法];
• draft Civil Compulsory Enforcement Law [民事强制执行法]; and
• draft amendment to the Legislation Law [立法法].

In addition, the NPCSC is expected to adopt a legislative interpretation on the issue of whether overseas counsel not admitted to the Hong Kong bar may participate in cases involving offenses endangering national security, at the request of the city’s Chief Executive.

The NPCSC’s October 26, 2019 decision authorizing the State Council to pilot certain administrative reforms in China’s free trade zones will expire on December 1 (all reforms, except those concerning the Foreign Trade Law [对外贸易法], have been codified). The NPCSC’s December 29, 2018 decision authorizing the State Council to approve a certain amount of new local government debts in advance of annual budget approval will expire on December 31.