Category: NPC Calendar

NPC Calendar: May 2026

The following laws take effect on May 1:

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is seeking public comment on the following bills through May 29:

The NPCSC is expected to release its 2026 work priorities as well as 2026 plans for legislative, oversight, and delegates-related work sometime this month.

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

NPC Calendar: April 2026

The 14th NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) will convene for its 22nd session in late April. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-April to decide on the agenda and the dates of the session.

The Council is also expected to approve the NPCSC’s 2026 work priorities as well as plans for legislative, oversight, and delegates-related work. These documents will be released after the upcoming NPCSC session (likely in early May).

The session is expected to review the recently submitted draft revision to the Bid Invitation and Bidding Law [招标投标法] and draft revision to the Water Law [水法].

The session is also likely to review one or more of the following bills:

NPC Calendar: March 2026

The revised Arbitration Law [仲裁法] (adopted Sept. 12, 2025) and revised Foreign Trade Law [对外贸易法] (adopted Dec. 27, 2025) take effect on March 1.

The following bills are open for public comment through March 28:

China’s 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) will convene for its fourth session on Thursday, March 5. The session’s agenda is expected to include the following items:

  • Deliberate the Government Work Report;
  • Deliberate work reports by the NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC), the Supreme People’s Court, and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate;
  • Review a report on the implementation of the 2025 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the draft 2026 Plan for National Economic and Social Development; and review the draft 2026 Plan for National Economic and Social Development;
  • Review a report on the execution of the 2025 Central and Local Budgets and on the draft 2026 Central and Local Budgets; and review the draft 2026 Central and Local Budgets;
  • Review a draft Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development;
  • Deliberate a draft Ecological and Environmental Code [生态环境法典];
  • Deliberate a draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress [民族团结进步促进法];
  • Deliberate a draft Law on National Development Plans [国家发展规划法]; and
  • Deliberate the NPCSC’s Report on Efforts to Clean Up Laws and Opinions on Handling Relevant Laws and Decisions [关于法律清理工作情况和有关法律和决定处理意见的报告].

On March 4, the NPC session will convene for a preparatory meeting to select members of the Presidium (an ad hoc body of around 180 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.

The NPC’s 2026 session will likely close on March 11, based on a recent notice from the Beijing police on ensuring airspace safety during the event. All documents submitted for review are expected to be approved.

NPC Calendar: February 2026

UPDATE (Feb. 2, 2026): The NPCSC announced on February 2 that it will hold its 20th session on an emergency basis on February 4.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is seeking public comment on a draft revision to the Trademark Law [商标法] through February 9.

The 14th NPCSC will convene for its 21st session in late February. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet before the Lunar New Year holiday (which starts on February 15) to decide on the agenda and the dates of the session.

The NPCSC will primarily make preparations for the 2026 NPC session at its upcoming meeting, but may still review one or two of these bills:

NPC Calendar: January 2026

The following laws take effect on January 1:

The Atomic Energy Law [原子能法] (adopted on Sept. 12, 2025) takes effect on January 15.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is seeking public comment on the following bills through January 25:

It is also seeking public comment on a draft revision to the Trademark Law [商标法] through February 9.

The NPCSC will meet for its next regularly scheduled session in late February.

NPC Calendar: December 2025

UPDATE (Dec. 5, 2025): On December 5, the State Council leadership approved a draft National Fire and Rescue Personnel Law [国家消防救援人员法], which the NPCSC is likely to review at this month’s session as well.

The amendment to the Food Safety Law [食品安全法] (adopted on Sept. 12, 2025) takes effect on December 1.

The 14th NPC Standing Committee is expected to convene for its nineteenth 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 following bills:

The session will likely further review one or more of these pending bills:

The session may also take up one or more additional bills scheduled for initial review in 2025.

NPC Calendar: November 2025

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in November 2025 at our newsletter.

The Public Health Emergency Response Law [突发公共卫生事件应对法] and the Law on Publicity and Education on the Rule of Law [法治宣传教育法] (both adopted on Sept. 12, 2025) take effect on November 1.

The NPC Standing Committee is seeking public comment on the following bills through November 26:

It will meet for its next regularly scheduled session in late December.

NPC Calendar: October 2025

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in October 2025 at our newsletter.

The revised Anti–Unfair Competition Law [反不正当竞争法] (adopted on June 27, 2025) takes effect on October 15.

The NPC Standing Committee (NPCSC) is seeking public comment on the following bills through October 11:

The Communist Party’s 20th Central Committee will convene for its Fourth Plenum from October 20 to 23. The Plenum is expected to approve the Central Committee’s Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development [关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议].

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

The session is expected to review the draft Cultivated Land Protection and Quality Improvement Law [耕地保护和质量提升法] and the draft revision to the Banking Supervision and Administration Law [银行业监督管理法] that the State Council leadership approved on July 31 and September 19, respectively.

The session is also likely to review one or more of the following bills:

Lastly, the session may review the draft amendment to the Cybersecurity Law, one or more parts of the draft Ecological and Environmental Code, as well as one or more additional bills scheduled for initial review in 2025.

NPC Calendar: September 2025

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in September 2025 at our newsletter.

The revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases [传染病防治法] (adopted on Apr. 30, 2025) takes effect on September 1.

The 14th NPC Standing Committee will convene for its 17th session from September 8 to 12. It will review the following bills:

For more information on the session’s agenda, please see this post.

NPC Calendar: August 2025

Here is our recap of NPC-related events in August 2025 at our newsletter.

UPDATE (July 31, 2025, at 08:56 EDT): The State Council on July 31 approved a draft Cultivated Land Protection and Quality Improvement Law [耕地保护法和质量提升法], which the session is likely to review as well.

The 14th NPC Standing Committee will convene for its seventeenth 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 2025 legislative work plan, the draft Financial Stability Law [金融稳定法] will return for further review.

One or more of the following bills may also return for further review:

Finally, the session may take up one or more of the bills scheduled for initial review this year under the NPCSC’s 2025 legislative work plan.