2009 National People's Congress
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Plenary Session of the 11th
National People's Congress
is the annual meeting of the highest legislative body of the People's Republic of China
, which was held in March 2009 at the Great Hall of the People
in Beijing
. The event began on March 5 and lasted until March 13. The Congress was followed closely because of the possible impact any policy changes would have on the Chinese
and world economy
. Major issues discussed at the Congress include the global financial crisis, industrial revitalization
, curbing unemployment
, and social welfare.
Highlights of the Congress included Premier Wen Jiabao
's expression of confidence in the growth of China's economy
in 2009, conciliatory remarks towards Taiwan
from Beijing, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo
's reiteration that China will not adopt Western-style democracy, and Wen's expressed doubts about U.S. treasury securities. The main issues raised by delegates included a strategy to adopt to face the current economic slowdown, the ways to continue to improve population's life standards
(jobs, health), and continue efforts against corruption
.
(CPPCC), a political advisory body with little practical power. In recent years, however, there has been a marked rise in the amount of debate within both bodies. This year's congress is especially important because it takes place in the backdrop of the on-going global financial crisis, the first such crisis of this proportion China has faced since economic liberalization under Deng Xiaoping
in 1978. A day prior to the Congress, the government announced a 14.9% increase in the Chinese defense budget, 3% less than the previous year. There was also speculation of the unveiling of another stimulus package, which affected trading on global stock markets on March 4. The event's timeline was shortened this year because of the ongoing global financial crisis.
, delivered the annual Government Work Report on March 5, 2009. This annual speech details the government's policy and legislative agenda for the past and coming year (roughly analogous to the State of the Union
address and Throne Speeches
in some other countries). While acknowledging the deepening financial crisis, Wen declared that China would aim for a GDP growth of 8% in the coming year. Wen revealed that the central government deficit hovers around 750 billion yuan ($US109.63 billion), 570 billion yuan more than last year. The total deficit will amount to 950 billion yuan ($US139 billion) as local governments plan to issue 200 billion yuan worth of government bonds. Although this is a relatively large deficit by Chinese standards, it only accounts for less than 3% of the GDP.
Wen pointed to improvements in cross-strait relations
between mainland China
and Taiwan
, and declared that the two sides have entered a "peaceful period". He remarked that new agreements on economic cooperation will be signed in the coming year. To address reconstruction after the deadly Sichuan Earthquake
in May 2008, the central government will allocate 130 billion yuan to accelerate recovery in hard-hit areas in Sichuan
province. In health care reform, Wen stressed that governments at all levels will allocate an additional 850 billion yuan in the next three years, including 331.8 billion yuan directly from the central government.
, delivered his report on the work of the National People's Congress over the past year. He spoke on the continuing reconstruction of the Sichuan earthquake and progress of relief work, and empathized with the victims. On the economy, he touched on the slowing economy due to the 2008 financial crisis, increased unemployment and risk to social stability if proper oversight is not increased in areas of food safety, standards and reporting.
The NPC standing committee chairman also stressed oversight of the economic stimulus package through the legislature, increased domestic consumption, and upgrading industry and competitiveness in this difficult economic period.
Wu also stated China cannot indiscriminately copy western political concepts such as multi-party governance, separation of powers namely the executive, legislative and judicial branch, or turning the NPC into a bicameral system. China's political reforms rest with improving and developing the socialist political system which includes the NPC.
. Wang mentioned judicial corruption severely undermined the credibility of the judicial system and led to social repercussions.
A total of 712 judicial officials from courts throughout China were prosecuted for violations of the laws in 2008, Wang said. Out of the 712, 105 faced criminal prosecutions. He indicated, in 2008, the Supreme People's Court dealt with over 10,000 cases, up nearly 30 percent from 2007. Local courts processed over 10 million cases, up nearly 11 percent.
The main points that came up from Cao's work report are:
Cai acknowledge in 2008, the total number of arrest came up to 952,583 suspects for numerous crimes and 1,143,897 were prosecuted. This was an increase of 3.5 percent and 5.7 percent from the last year.
Efforts against corruption
There were 33,546 cases relating to corruption, misconduct and violation on people's human rights investigated. This involved 41,179 people. The total prosecuted were 33,953 people involved in 26,684 such cases. Out of the total there were 17,594 serious corruption cases, 3,211 major cases of misconduct and violations on people's human rights, and 2,687 officials at all levels of public office.
The prosecutor general also indicated 10,315 cases of commercial bribery committed by government officials were investigated. This involved a total sum of more than 2.1 billion yuan.
held the annual NPC press conference to a gallery of domestic and international reporters. Wen remarked that the international financial crisis is an extraordinary situation. China has over half of its estimated $2 trillion of foreign exchange holdings in United States Treasury securities and other U.S. government debt and Wen remarked, "We have lent a huge amount of money to the U.S. Of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. To be honest, I am definitely a little worried." Wen asked the U.S. to "maintain its good credit, to honor its promises and to guarantee the safety of China’s assets". In particular, Wen was confident that China's economy would continue to grow at a rate of 8% in 2009. Wen played down speculation that the 1.18 trillion Yuan of central government stimulus is not completely directed to new investments, and that the government was ready to make new stimulus plans if need be in the future. Wen also mentioned his aspiration to visit Taiwan.
11th National People's Congress
The 11th National People's Congress is in session from 2008 to 2013. It is scheduled to hold five plenary sessions in this period, occurring around early March every year. There are 2,985 deputies to this Congress.-The 1st Plenary Session:...
National People's Congress
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress , abbreviated NPC , is the highest state body and the only legislative house in the People's Republic of China. The National People's Congress is held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China; with 2,987 members, it is the...
is the annual meeting of the highest legislative body of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, which was held in March 2009 at the Great Hall of the People
Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People is located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square, Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China. It functions as the People's Republic of China's...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The event began on March 5 and lasted until March 13. The Congress was followed closely because of the possible impact any policy changes would have on the Chinese
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
and world economy
World economy
The world economy, or global economy, generally refers to the economy, which is based on economies of all of the world's countries, national economies. Also global economy can be seen as the economy of global society and national economies – as economies of local societies, making the global one....
. Major issues discussed at the Congress include the global financial crisis, industrial revitalization
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
, curbing unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, and social welfare.
Highlights of the Congress included Premier Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
's expression of confidence in the growth of China's economy
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
in 2009, conciliatory remarks towards Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
from Beijing, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo
Wu Bangguo
Wu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
's reiteration that China will not adopt Western-style democracy, and Wen's expressed doubts about U.S. treasury securities. The main issues raised by delegates included a strategy to adopt to face the current economic slowdown, the ways to continue to improve population's life standards
Demographics of China
This article is about the demographic features of the population of China, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
(jobs, health), and continue efforts against corruption
Corruption in China
The People's Republic of China suffers from widespread corruption. For 2010, China was ranked 78 of 179 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking slightly above fellow BRIC nations India and Russia, but below Brazil and most developed countries...
.
Background
The 2009 NPC takes place alongside the 2009 session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative ConferenceChinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference [], shortened as 人民政协, Rénmín Zhèngxié, i.e. "People's PCC"; or just 政协, Zhèngxié, i.e. "The PCC"), abbreviated CPPCC, is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China...
(CPPCC), a political advisory body with little practical power. In recent years, however, there has been a marked rise in the amount of debate within both bodies. This year's congress is especially important because it takes place in the backdrop of the on-going global financial crisis, the first such crisis of this proportion China has faced since economic liberalization under Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
in 1978. A day prior to the Congress, the government announced a 14.9% increase in the Chinese defense budget, 3% less than the previous year. There was also speculation of the unveiling of another stimulus package, which affected trading on global stock markets on March 4. The event's timeline was shortened this year because of the ongoing global financial crisis.
Agenda
The agenda for this year's NPC consisted of:- State council work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao
- Report on the Implementation of the 2008 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Report on the draft 2009 Plan for National Economic and Social Development; and voting on the 2009 plan
- Report on the Implementation of the Central and Local Budgets for 2008 and on the Draft Central and Local Budgets for 2009; and voting on the 2009 central budget
- Work report of the NPC Standing Committee delivered by chairman of NPC Standing Committee Wu Bangguo
- Work report of the Supreme People's Court delivered by President of the Supreme People's Court Wang Shengjun
- Work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate delivered by Procurator-General Cao Jianming
Premier's Work Report
The Premier, Wen JiabaoWen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
, delivered the annual Government Work Report on March 5, 2009. This annual speech details the government's policy and legislative agenda for the past and coming year (roughly analogous to the State of the Union
State Of The Union
"State Of The Union" is the debut single from British singer-songwriter David Ford. It had previously been featured as a demo on his official website, before appearing as a track on a CD entitled "Apology Demos EP," only on sale at live shows....
address and Throne Speeches
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
in some other countries). While acknowledging the deepening financial crisis, Wen declared that China would aim for a GDP growth of 8% in the coming year. Wen revealed that the central government deficit hovers around 750 billion yuan ($US109.63 billion), 570 billion yuan more than last year. The total deficit will amount to 950 billion yuan ($US139 billion) as local governments plan to issue 200 billion yuan worth of government bonds. Although this is a relatively large deficit by Chinese standards, it only accounts for less than 3% of the GDP.
Wen pointed to improvements in cross-strait relations
Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
between mainland China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, and declared that the two sides have entered a "peaceful period". He remarked that new agreements on economic cooperation will be signed in the coming year. To address reconstruction after the deadly Sichuan Earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
in May 2008, the central government will allocate 130 billion yuan to accelerate recovery in hard-hit areas in Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
province. In health care reform, Wen stressed that governments at all levels will allocate an additional 850 billion yuan in the next three years, including 331.8 billion yuan directly from the central government.
NPC Standing Committee Work Report
The Chair of the NPC, Wu BangguoWu Bangguo
Wu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
, delivered his report on the work of the National People's Congress over the past year. He spoke on the continuing reconstruction of the Sichuan earthquake and progress of relief work, and empathized with the victims. On the economy, he touched on the slowing economy due to the 2008 financial crisis, increased unemployment and risk to social stability if proper oversight is not increased in areas of food safety, standards and reporting.
The NPC standing committee chairman also stressed oversight of the economic stimulus package through the legislature, increased domestic consumption, and upgrading industry and competitiveness in this difficult economic period.
Wu also stated China cannot indiscriminately copy western political concepts such as multi-party governance, separation of powers namely the executive, legislative and judicial branch, or turning the NPC into a bicameral system. China's political reforms rest with improving and developing the socialist political system which includes the NPC.
President of the Supreme People's Court Work Report
China's top judicial official, Wang Shengjun reported the continuing efforts to educate judges on judicial work ethic and root out corruptionCorruption in China
The People's Republic of China suffers from widespread corruption. For 2010, China was ranked 78 of 179 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking slightly above fellow BRIC nations India and Russia, but below Brazil and most developed countries...
. Wang mentioned judicial corruption severely undermined the credibility of the judicial system and led to social repercussions.
A total of 712 judicial officials from courts throughout China were prosecuted for violations of the laws in 2008, Wang said. Out of the 712, 105 faced criminal prosecutions. He indicated, in 2008, the Supreme People's Court dealt with over 10,000 cases, up nearly 30 percent from 2007. Local courts processed over 10 million cases, up nearly 11 percent.
Prosecutor General's Work Report
China's Prosecutor-General Cao Jianming stated the central government will step up the inspection of prisons, with more resources and surprise checks, to prevent inmates from being bullied or tortured.The main points that came up from Cao's work report are:
- Increase efforts to provide judicial support to maintain the steady growth of the national economy by actively pursuing criminal cases by the public prosecutor's office.
- Step up efforts to maintain social harmony and stability through strict law enforcement.
- Give importance to public safety and their livelihood through better legal oversight of the food industry. This includes the production and sale of poisonous and harmful food and medicine. In addition, investigate negligence and accountability in cases where there is a breach of workplace safety and food security.
- Strengthen legal oversight over litigation for maintaining and promoting judicial justice.
- Improve the transparency and credibility of law enforcement by procuratorial organs.
- Improve the competence of procurators.
Cai acknowledge in 2008, the total number of arrest came up to 952,583 suspects for numerous crimes and 1,143,897 were prosecuted. This was an increase of 3.5 percent and 5.7 percent from the last year.
Efforts against corruption
There were 33,546 cases relating to corruption, misconduct and violation on people's human rights investigated. This involved 41,179 people. The total prosecuted were 33,953 people involved in 26,684 such cases. Out of the total there were 17,594 serious corruption cases, 3,211 major cases of misconduct and violations on people's human rights, and 2,687 officials at all levels of public office.
The prosecutor general also indicated 10,315 cases of commercial bribery committed by government officials were investigated. This involved a total sum of more than 2.1 billion yuan.
Premier's press conference
On March 13 Premier Wen JiabaoWen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
held the annual NPC press conference to a gallery of domestic and international reporters. Wen remarked that the international financial crisis is an extraordinary situation. China has over half of its estimated $2 trillion of foreign exchange holdings in United States Treasury securities and other U.S. government debt and Wen remarked, "We have lent a huge amount of money to the U.S. Of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. To be honest, I am definitely a little worried." Wen asked the U.S. to "maintain its good credit, to honor its promises and to guarantee the safety of China’s assets". In particular, Wen was confident that China's economy would continue to grow at a rate of 8% in 2009. Wen played down speculation that the 1.18 trillion Yuan of central government stimulus is not completely directed to new investments, and that the government was ready to make new stimulus plans if need be in the future. Wen also mentioned his aspiration to visit Taiwan.