NPC 2024: Documents and Votes

The second session of China’s 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) concluded on Monday, March 11. Below we have compiled a list of all official documents from this session (except for two legislative documents the NPC has so far neglected to release). We have also linked to the submitted (i.e., draft) version of six main reports for your reference. Unless otherwise noted, the documents are available in Chinese only. The vote results for each bill and resolution are listed below in brackets, in the order of yea–nay–abstention.

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Legal Inquiry Response: Defining “Central Authorities” in Hong Kong’s Article 23 Legislation

On Friday, March 8, 2024, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) unveiled a controversial Safeguarding National Security Bill (Bill) to discharge the city’s duty under Article 23 of its Basic Law to enact national security legislation and to supplement the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) that was imposed on the city in 2020. The government’s sprawling proposals would create an array of broadly worded offenses, including treason, insurrection, crimes relating to state secrets, and “external interference,” and generally limit the due process rights of those accused of national security offenses (whether under the Bill, the HKNSL, or any other law).

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NPC 2024: Agenda and Daily Schedule

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) has released its 2024 session’s agenda and daily schedule of meetings, as well as a preliminary schedule of press events during the session. This year’s session will open on the morning of March 5 and close on the afternoon of March 11, lasting seven full days, consistent with Covid-era norms. But in a break with long-standing tradition, and for the first time since 1993, the premier will not hold a press conference after this session, or during the reminder of this NPC’s term “absent special circumstances,” a spokesperson announced on March 4.

All times below are in China Standard Time (UTC +8:00). For a primer on the NPC and its annual sessions, check out this FAQ.

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NPCSC Session Watch: NPC Preparations and State Secrets Law Revisions

UPDATE (Feb. 27, 2024): The NPCSC on February 27 approved the revision to the Law on Guarding State Secrets, which will take effect on May 1, 2024. An English translation of the revised Law and a Chinese comparison chart are accessible from the bill page.

China’s top legislature, the 14th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), will convene for its eighth session from February 26 to 27, the Council of Chairpersons decided on Wednesday, February 7.

As expected, this two-day meeting will primarily make preparations for the NPC’s 2024 session, scheduled to open on March 5. In addition to discussing its annual work report to the NPC, the NPCSC will review a proposed itemized agenda for the 2024 NPC session, among other preparatory matters.

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Year in Review: The NPC and the Observer in 2023

As we bid farewell to 2023, we reflect on work of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and that of our own in the past year.

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NPCSC Session Watch: Chinese-Style Constitutional Review, Legislative Oversight, Charity Regulation, Border Health, Emergency Management & Mineral Resources (Updated)

China’s top legislature, the 14th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), will convene for its seventh session from December 25 to 29, the Council of Chairpersons decided on Monday, December 18. The session’s tentative agenda includes twelve legislative bills, which we preview below.

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NPCSC Seeks Public Comment on 6 Bills: State Secrets, State Council Operation, Food Security, Charity Regulation, Infectious Disease Control & Cultural Relics Protection

For an overview of key proposed changes to the Charity Law and the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, please see this issue of our newsletter.

China’s national legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC), is soliciting public comment on the following six bills through November 23, 2023. The NPCSC also reviewed a draft Tariff Law [关税法] at its latest session, but did not release it for public comment today.

Draft NameChinese TextExplanatory Document
Law on Ensuring Food Security (2nd Draft)
粮食安全保障法草案二次审议稿
PDFPDF
Charity Law (Draft Amendment)
慈善法修正草案
PDF Δ
(English)
PDF
 State Council Organic Law (Draft Revision)
国务院组织法修订草案
PDF Δ
(English)
PDF
Law on Guarding State Secrets (Draft Revision)
保守国家秘密法修订草案
PDF Δ
(English)
PDF
Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Draft Revision)
传染病防治法修订草案
PDF ΔPDF
Cultural Relics Protection Law (Draft Revision)
文物保护法修订草案
PDF ΔPDF

English translations will be provided if and when available. All explanatory documents are in Chinese and compiled in a single PDF; the links above will take you to the corresponding pages in the PDF only if you use a desktop browser—this does not work on a phone or a tablet.

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Translation: Five-Year Legislative Plan of China’s National People’s Congress for 2023–2028

On Thursday, September 7, 2023, China’s national legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC), released the five-year legislative plan for its current term ending in 2028. Since 1993, each NPCSC has adopted such a plan to outline and prioritize the legislative tasks during its five-year term. Those plans are important documents that require the approval of the Communist Party’s central leadership.

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NPCSC Seeks Public Comment on 5 Bills: Public Security Violations, Company Regulation, VAT, Preschool Education & Academic Degrees

China’s national legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC), is soliciting public comment on the following five bills through September 30, 2023:

Draft NameChinese TextExplanatory Document
Company Law (3rd Draft Revision)
公司法修订草案三次审议稿
PDFPDF
Value-Added Tax Law (2nd Draft)
增值税法草案二次审议稿
PDFPDF
Preschool Education Law (Draft)
学前教育法草案
PDFPDF
Academic Degrees Law (Draft)
学位法草案
PDFPDF
Public Security Administrative Punishments Law (Draft Revision)
治安管理处罚法修订草案
PDF
(English)
PDF

English translations will be provided if and when available. All explanatory documents are in Chinese and compiled in a single PDF; the links above will take you to the corresponding pages in the PDF only if you use a desktop browser—this does not work on a phone or a tablet.

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NPCSC Session Watch: Administrative Reconsideration, Foreign-Related Litigation, Public Security Offenses & Education

UPDATE (Aug. 28, 2023): The NPCSC is expected to approve the draft revision to the Administrative Reconsideration Law, draft Foreign State Immunity Law, and draft amendment to the Civil Procedure Law on Friday, September 1. The draft revision to the Company Law will be subject to a fourth (and mostly likely final) review.

China’s top legislature, the 14th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), will convene for its fifth session from August 28 to September 1, the Council of Chairpersons decided on Monday, August 21. In addition to proposing an agenda that includes nine legislative bills, the Council also discussed a few other interesting matters at Monday’s meeting. We briefly discuss all those developments below. 

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