Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses Section 8. Governing System The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses 1

Outline Introduction Overview of People’s Congresses Major challenges associated with elections Major challenges associated with the execution of power Road ahead 2 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Introduction The National People’s Congress (NPC) : ⁻The mechanisms through which the people exercise state power; ⁻The “apex” of the political system 3 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Introduction Relationship with other state entities. ⁻“All administrative, judicial and procuratorial entities of the state are created by the People’s Congresses to which they are responsible and under whose supervision they operate.” ⁻Other state entities execute the laws, decisions or regulations enacted by the NPC and local People’s Congresses. 4 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Introduction Positions in the congresses are sought after by many elites. ⁻Representatives hold great status in China. Almost no representatives at any level serve full time. ⁻Many business owners want or boost to be representatives. 5 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Overview of People’s Congresses The election of deputies is a bottom-up process. ⁻Direct election: deputies elected by the constituents; ⁻Indirect election: used to select representatives for the National People’s Congress, and the People’s Congresses for provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities reporting directly to the central government, cities that are divided into districts, and autonomous prefectures. 6 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Overview of People’s Congresses Typically, the People’s Congresses at each level meet once a year. ⁻The NPC meets during the last 2 weeks of the first quarter of the year to make decisions of national level; ⁻The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meets almost at the same time, thus they are called the “Lianghui” in Chinese, literally the “two meetings”. 7 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Major challenges associated with elections The government and party have a large say in election. ⁻explicitly or implicitly, they have large sway in determining who will eventually be in the congresses at all levels. The practice of buying votes ⁻E.g., the case of Hunan province in 2013, 56 elected deputies bought votes for RMB 110 million ⁻Encouraging point: votes count and voters at least have some control over who wins elections. 8 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses

Major challenges associated with the execution of power Representatives’ power to legislate and monitor is still limited. Rubber Stamping ? 9 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses Shen Jilan, a 12-time NPC representatives who never voted ‘no’.

Major challenges associated with the execution of power However, government officials start to pay much closer attention to what their representatives say. More proposals and bills were vetoed these years. – E.g., 46 proposals failed ( ) The quantity and quality of the bills proposed by representatives have increased in recent years. People’s Congresses also have executed their power to approve or remove government officials, although on a small scale. Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses 10

Road ahead No doubt that People’s Congresses will play an increasingly important role. Representatives will become more professional. We also expect representatives to acquire substantial real power in monitoring the government. 11 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 35. The Legislative System: People’s Congresses