The following is the full text of the Report on the Work of the Standing Committee of the National Poeple's Congress (NPC), which was delivered by Chairman Wu Bangguo of the NPC Standing Committee on March 8 for review by the First Session of the 11th NPC:

REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

Delivered at the First Session of the Eleventh National People's Congress on March 8, 2008

Wu Bangguo

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

Fellow Deputies,

I have been entrusted by the Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) to present this report to deputies on its main work over the past five years and on arrangements for its future work for your deliberation and approval.

Over the last five years we made great progress in reform and opening up and in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. During these years we also made great progress in improving socialist democracy, the socialist legal system and the system of people's congresses. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC diligently followed the guiding principles laid out at the Sixteenth and Seventeenth National Congresses of the Communist Party of China (CPC), took Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as its guide, thoroughly applied the Scientific Outlook on Development and organically integrated the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country, and the rule of law. Focusing on the work of the Party and the state, the Standing Committee carried out its responsibilities in accordance with the law. Building on the achievements of the previous terms of the NPC, the Standing Committee kept up with the times, opened up new horizons in the work of the NPC, and made important contributions to upholding and improving the system of people's congresses, developing socialist democratic politics, continuing to carry out reform and opening up, and promoting scientific development and social harmony.

I. Legislative Work

The power to pass legislation is an important authority granted to the NPC and its Standing Committee by the Constitution and laws. At the beginning of its term, the Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC clearly defined its philosophy and guide for legislative work during its term as follows: "Our goal is to establish the basics of a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, with the focus on improving the quality of legislation." During the past five years the Standing Committee passed 100 of the 106 draft amendments to the Constitution, draft laws, draft legal interpretations and draft decisions on legal issues that it deliberated. There are 229 laws currently in force in China, divided into seven types: the Constitution and related laws, civil and commercial laws, administrative laws, economic laws, social laws, criminal law, and litigation and non-litigation procedure laws. There are approximately 600 administrative laws and regulations and over 7,000 local ordinances currently in force. The formation of a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics consisting of seven types of laws and three levels has now been basically completed, centering on the Constitution, with laws as the backbone and including normative documents such as administrative laws and regulations and local ordinances. There are laws to cover basically every area of economic, political, cultural and social activities in the country, providing a strong legal footing for implementation of the rule of law, developing China into a law-based socialist country, and realizing lasting peace and stability in the country.

1. We completed a number of important legislative items. The law represents the unity of the stands of the Party and the will of the people. Being subservient to and serving the work of the Party and the state is the fundamental prerequisite for doing good legislative work and improving the quality of legislation. We convert the stands of the Party into the will of the state through legally defined procedures and cement the lessons learned through our achievements in reform, opening up and socialist modernization into law in accordance with the strategic arrangements and major resolutions of the Party and the state and based on what we have learned in the great process of reform and opening up and of socialist modernization. In formulating legislation, we take into consideration the objective needs of economic and social development and focus on legislative items that can play an important role in the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, that meet pressing needs in the social life of the country and for which conditions are ripe for passing. In addition to improving legislation concerning economic matters, we also concentrate on improving legislation concerning social issues, and in addition to passing new legislation, we also attach great importance to revising and improving current legislation. Following these principles, a number of important legislative tasks were completed.

In line with the suggestions concerning revision of the Constitution submitted by the CPC Central Committee, we deliberated and passed the amended Constitution, which confirms the guiding role of the important thought of Three Represents in the social life of the country, includes the major theoretical viewpoints and important principles and policies defined at the Sixteenth National Congress, clarifies the country's respect and protection for human rights and its protection of the rights of citizens to hold property and receive an inheritance. This fully reflects the unity of the CPC's stands and the will of the people and represents another major milestone in China's constitutional history. We formulated the Anti-Secession Law, which provides the legal framework for the major policies, principles and policy measures of the Party and the state for work related to Taiwan. The law fully reflects our consistent position that we are most sincere and are doing our utmost to bring about the peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. At the same time, this legislation reflects the common will and firm resolution of the entire Chinese nation to never allow anyone in any guise or in any way to separate Taiwan from the motherland and to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. This legislation provides firm legal backing for the struggle to oppose and keep in check separatist activities aimed at Taiwan independence and promote the peaceful reunification of the motherland. We formulated interpretations and passed corresponding decisions concerning some articles in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its annexes in line with the original legislative intentions of the Basic Law. This played an irreplaceable role in ensuring the correct implementation of the Basic Law, promoting the healthy development of democracy in Hong Kong and safeguarding the region's long-term prosperity and stability. We formulated the Law on Oversight, improving the forms and procedures for oversight by the standing committees of people's congresses at all levels and effectively helping to institutionalize, standardize and define procedures for oversight work for the people's congresses. We formulated the Civil Servant Law in conformity with the Party's line, principles and policies on cadres, providing a strong legal footing for reform of the personnel and cadre system.

We comprehensively improved economic legislation to meet objective requirements for developing China's socialist market economy. We enacted the Law on Property Rights in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution, specifying rules for resolving some common issues related to the system of property rights. Pursuing the purposes of clarifying property ownership, maximizing the utility of property, and protecting the rights of property owners, the Law on Property Rights has further improved the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics concerning property rights. In line with the normal rule in the market that better companies survive and poor companies fall by the wayside, we formulated the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law, which applies to all types of corporations. This standardizes procedures for enterprise bankruptcy and establishes a legal framework for the orderly withdrawal of enterprises from the market. We formulated the Antitrust Law in line with conditions in China, setting up a legal framework suitable for China's current stage of economic development to prevent and stop monopolies and to safeguard and promote fair competition. This law will help safeguard economic order in the market, protect the rights and interests of consumers and promote advances in technology. In order to tighten financial regulation and preserve the financial order, we formulated the Banking Oversight and Management Law and the Law to Combat Money Laundering and revised the Law on the People's Bank of China, the Law on Commercial Banks and the Securities Law, thus improving the legal framework for banking and financial activities. The Law on Corporate Income Tax, which was formulated to meet the goals of reform of the taxation system, unifies the income tax rates for domestic and overseas-funded enterprises and standardizes pre-tax deductions and favorable tax policies. The Individual Income Tax Law was revised three times, reducing the tax load on low- and medium-income wage earners and tightening tax collection and management for high-income persons. We made the decision to eliminate the Regulations on the Agricultural Tax, ending the 2,000-year history of farmers paying taxes in China and taking an important step toward unifying the tax systems for cities and the countryside. We formulated the Law on Specialized Farmer Cooperatives, which is of great significance for the effort to increase the level of organization of farmers and promote industrialized operation of agriculture. In addition, we formulated the Law on Renewable Energy, revised the Law on Energy Conservation and deliberated the Law on the Circular Economy (draft) and other laws related to resources and the environment.

We devoted a great deal of energy to improving social legislation in line with the requirements for building a harmonious socialist society. Improving the legal framework for labor and social security has a bearing on the vital interests of workers and social harmony and stability, and is therefore a priority of social legislation. During 2007 the Standing Committee passed the Labor Contract Law, the Employment Promotion Law and the Law on the Mediation and Arbitration of Labor Disputes and examined a draft of the Social Security Law. The Law on Compulsory Education was thoroughly revised to respond to the great concern among deputies about social issues. The law establishes a legal framework for the mechanism to ensure adequate funding for compulsory education, puts the requirement that students receive competence-oriented education into law and confirms the goal of making compulsory education available in all areas of the country. The Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women was revised, confirming for the first time the equality of men and women as a basic state policy. The Law on the Protection of Minors was revised, further strengthening the responsibility of families, schools, society and the government for the protection of minors and emphasizing their right to receive an education.

2. We found appropriate solutions to problems encountered in legislative work. Legislative work is a fundamental political activity in China, so following the correct guiding ideology is essential to doing good legislative work and improving the quality of legislation. Therefore, in carrying out our legislative work we always refer to the Constitution, maintain a correct political orientation, put people first, take into consideration the situation and actual conditions in the country and work in a spirit of reform and innovation to find appropriate solutions to problems we encounter in our legislative work.

The Law on Property Rights is a basic law that standardizes private property relationships in a market economy. The Law on Property Rights, which is related to China's basic economic system and affects the vital interests of the people, attracted wide attention from the general public and took 13 years to go from initial drafting to final promulgation. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC placed great importance on passing the Law on Property Rights, adopting a positive yet cautious attitude, putting a great deal of effort into the work, making major revisions and deliberating the draft bill many times before passing it by a large margin at the Fifth Session of the Tenth NPC. This law reflects the basic socialist economic system, complies with the principle of equal protection of property rights for all, strengthens protection of state-owned assets, is in compliance with the Party's current basic policy on the countryside and clarifies practical issues of most concern to the general public. In line with the objectives of the Law on Property Rights, the Standing Committee also deliberated the Law on State-owned Assets (draft), designed to protect the rights and interests of the state in holding assets and prevent their erosion.

Work on the Law on Oversight, which is related to China's political system and the structure of the government, took 20 years to bring to promulgation, beginning with its initial conception at the Sixth NPC. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC maintained a high sense of responsibility toward the Party and the people in making major revisions in the draft on the basis of a careful review of experience and extensive solicitation of opinions. The Standing Committee adjusted the scope of applicability of the Law on Oversight, focusing on clarifying the issues the standing committees of people's congresses at all levels were most concerned about and most hoped to see clarified, correctly balancing the need to strengthen the oversight work of the people's congresses and the need to uphold the leadership of the Party, and correctly balancing the need to strengthen the oversight work of the people's congresses and the need to support the legally sanctioned work of the people's governments, people's courts and people's procuratorates. The law fully reflects the organic integration of the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country and the rule of law.

On the basis of the work of the previous two terms of the NPC, we formulated a new draft version of the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law. On the basis of thorough discussions with the State Council and interested parties, we included in this draft special provisions to require giving priority to clearing up major issues such unpaid wages, basic old-age pensions and expenses for medical insurance due from bankrupt enterprises, thus effectively protecting the legal rights and interests of the employees of bankrupt enterprises. To address the issue of possible acquisition of Chinese enterprises by foreign businesses or the emergence of foreign monopoly operations in China through other means, an issue of great concern to the public, the Antitrust Law clearly stipulates that any such action that affects the security of the country, in addition to any merger being subject to the normal legally mandated examination, will also be subject to examination for its effect on the country's security in accordance with the regulations of the state. This stipulation is conducive both to increasing the degree of the country's openness and to safeguarding the country's economic security.

In response to fairly strong contrary opinions raised during deliberation of the draft Administrative Approval Law, the Standing Committee attached great importance to protecting the lawful rights and interests of parties applying for administrative approval by clearly defining the scope and limit of jurisdiction for administrative approval in accordance with a principle of balancing compliance with the law and reasonableness, efficacy and convenience, and power and responsibility. The law rescinds the power of administrative approval stipulated by the regulations of government departments and limits the power of provincial-level people's governments to stipulate requirements for administrative approval. In deliberating and revising the draft of the Law on Public Security Management and Punishment, the Standing Committee paid close attention to granting public security organs and the people's police the necessary powers while also paying close attention to instituting standards and oversight for the exercise of those powers in order to effectively safeguard the lawful rights and interests of citizens and preserve public order in society.

3. We actively worked to make legislation more scientific and democratic. Adhering to the mass line, giving full play to democracy and expanding the orderly participation of citizens in legislative work is an important way of ensuring good legislative work and improving the quality of legislation. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC, in the spirit of reform and innovation, actively worked to find effective ways to realize scientific and democratic legislation.

First, we released the full texts of the draft bills for the Law on Property Rights, the Labor Contract Law, the Employment Promotion Law and the revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution to the public to gather opinions from a wide swath of the general public, especially ordinary people. 

Second, for the first time in history we staged a public hearing on legislation for the NPC and its Standing Committee to directly listen to the opinions of the general public and concerned parties concerning the salary threshold for the individual income tax to help us revise the Individual Income Tax Law. 

Third, the draft laws submitted for deliberation were printed and sent to concerned organs of the CPC Central Committee and the central government, local governments and organizations and various forms of conferences were convened to solicit opinions. For especially technical issues in draft laws, we held meetings of experts to discuss those issues. 

Fourth, before deliberating important legislation such as the Law on Property Rights and Law on Corporate Income Tax at NPC sessions, we assembled the deputies to read and discuss them to carefully listen to their opinions so we could revise and improve the drafts. 

Fifth, we diligently deliberated draft laws numerous times. For draft laws that affected many interests and that drew strong opposing opinions, we adopted an active but cautious approach, conducting thorough surveys and studies for areas that required such treatment, patiently negotiating areas that needed to be negotiated and fully discussing areas that needed to be discussed so we could repeatedly deliberate, revise and improve such laws and reach a basic consensus of opinion before actually voting on them. The drafts for the Law on Oversight, the Administrative Approval Law, the Labor Contract Law and the Law on Citizen Identity Cards were deliberated four times before they were passed. The draft of the Law on Property Rights was deliberated eight times, which is unprecedented in the legislative history of China.

II. Oversight Work

The power of oversight is another important duty and power granted to the NPC and its Standing Committee by the Constitution and other laws. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC from the beginning of its term adopted the approach of concentrating on core issues, identifying priorities and seeking substantive results in its oversight work and constantly deepened its understanding of the oversight work of the NPC. As a result, the Standing Committee established effective work mechanisms and methods, produced results that pleased the Party and the people and provided a practical foundation for the formulation and implementation of the Law on Oversight. Over the past five years the Standing Committee listened to and deliberated 41 special work reports and 15 final accounts, auditing reports and plan implementation reports from the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee organized 25 enforcement inspection teams to survey implementation of 22 laws. The Standing Committee received over 470,000 letters from the public and entertained 210,000 visits from members of the public.

1. We identified oversight priorities. The oversight work of the NPC touches on many areas, so an important condition for achieving more substantive results is to closely tie it to the work of the Party and the state and make it closely correspond to the most common demands of the people. For this reason, we identified the priorities for oversight in accordance with the strategic arrangements that the Party and the government made for work following the Sixteenth National Congress, the comments and suggestions of deputies, and the issues of most concern to the public. We selected prominent issues that can be resolved through hard work as the breakthrough points, then used these individual cases to expand results to the problems at large. We constantly worked to enhance the scope of oversight to make it more thorough and more effective.

The Standing Committee tightened its oversight of economic work such as the implementation of budgets, the implementation of plans for national economic and social development, and macroeconomic regulation. At the same time, the Standing Committee mainly worked on oversight in the following five main areas: 1) solving serious problems related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, centering efforts on promoting the building of a new socialist countryside; 2) working to achieve goals for energy conservation and emissions reduction, centering on efforts to build a society that is resource-conserving and environmentally friendly; 3) improving the country's capacity for independent innovation, centering on efforts to build an innovative country; 4) addressing the problems of most concern to the people, centering on efforts to promote fairness in the judicial system; and 5) solving problems of great concern to the public, centering on efforts to build a harmonious socialist society.

The Standing Committee always attached great importance to solving the problems affecting agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Three years in a row, beginning in 2003, the Standing Committee identified grain security and protection of farmland as the breakthrough points for improving conditions for agriculture, rural areas and farmers to address the drastic reduction in the area sown to grain and the excessive appropriation of arable land for nonagricultural purposes. After 2006, the focus of oversight for efforts to solve the problems affecting agriculture, rural areas and farmers was once again shifted to comprehensive efforts to build a new socialist countryside in accordance with the strategic arrangements of the central authorities. During the past five years, the Standing Committee organized four campaigns to investigate enforcement of the law and heard four work reports. Thanks to the concerted efforts of all localities and quarters, China's grain production has steadily risen four years in a row, rural per capita net income has risen from 2,622 yuan in 2003 to 4,140 yuan in 2007, rural infrastructure and the living conditions of rural residents have steadily improved, and real progress is being made in building a new socialist countryside.

Another constant focus of the oversight work of the Standing Committee is the problems affecting resources and the environment. For several years in a row we have identified attainment of the goals for energy conservation and emissions reduction as the key to overseeing work in the area of resources and the environment. We concentrated on improving oversight of energy conservation and the prevention and control of water and air pollution and solid waste pollution, urged concerned parties to truly pay close attention to problems affecting resources and the environment and promoted realization of the goals for energy conservation and emissions reduction contained in the Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. We made strengthening the country's capacity for independent innovation the focus of efforts to make China an innovative country in order to address the relatively small contribution of advances in science and technology to economic growth, excessive dependence on foreign technology and inadequate investment in scientific research. We called on concerned parties to fully implement the guiding principles set out at the National Conference on Science and Technology and the Outline of the National Program for Long- and Medium-term Scientific and Technological Development.

The investigation of enforcement of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy and the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives was the first such investigation since these two laws were implemented. We put the focus of the investigation of the enforcement of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy on promoting economic and social development in ethnic minority areas and called on concerned parties to waste no time in formulating and improving supporting regulations and policies to truly increase assistance for ethnic minority areas and ethnic minorities, especially ethnic minorities with small populations. We put the focus of the investigation of enforcement of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese and Their Relatives on improving the poor living and working conditions of the 300,000 employees of overseas Chinese farms and suggested the approach of solving this longstanding problem in stages, effectively promoting the reform and development of these farms.

It should be pointed out here that the Standing Committee promptly adjusted its oversight plan in response to the sudden outbreak of SARS and highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2003 and 2004 respectively. We listened to and deliberated special work reports from the State Council, investigated the implementation of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, the Law on the Prevention of Animal Diseases and the Law on the Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Pollution, and called on concerned parties to set up and put into operation a contingency mechanism for responding to public health emergencies.

2. We constantly improved oversight means. During its oversight work the Standing Committee discovered problems in the work itself, problems related to the law and certain problems that were accumulated over time. In order to make our oversight work more focused, we deliberately combined the deliberation of special work reports with investigation of law enforcement, combined efforts to improve our work with efforts to revise and improve laws, and concentrated on improving follow-up oversight. For problems in the work itself, we urged concerned parties to improve their work to solve those problems. For problems related to the law, we promptly revised the relevant statutes, thereby strengthening legal guarantees for corresponding work. For key problems and difficult problems that are of great concern among deputies, we carried out repeated investigations and worked to completely resolve them. The constant improvement in oversight means made the oversight work of the NPC more focused and full of vitality.

One problem of great concern to people in recent years has been the great difficulty and expense of getting an education. To address this problem, we carried out an investigation in 2004 into enforcement of the Law on Compulsory Education and made two important suggestions, one to set up a mechanism for guaranteeing adequate funding for the operating expenses of compulsory education and the other to revise the Law on Compulsory Education. The State Council promptly worked out a draft revision of the Law on Compulsory Education at the suggestion of the Standing Committee. When we deliberated this draft revision, we heard and deliberated special work reports on making compulsory education more widely available and developing competence-oriented education in 2006. Then in 2007 we carried out an inspection to see how the newly revised Law on Compulsory Education was being enforced, focusing on how well the mechanism for guaranteeing adequate funding for the operating expenses of compulsory education was being implemented. This gave a strong boost to implementation of the Law on Compulsory Education and improvement in the distribution of compulsory education across the country.

Prevention and control of water pollution is a daunting and long-term task. We adopted a number of ways to continuously track and oversee the serious problem of constantly worsening water pollution. In 2004 we heard and deliberated a special work report on the conservation, protection and wise use of water resources. In 2005 we conducted an investigation into the enforcement of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution and the Water Law. In conjunction with hearing and deliberating a special work report on the state of the water environment and efforts to prevent and control water pollution, in 2006 we again investigated the implementation of the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution. In conjunction with hearing and deliberating a special work report on efforts to save energy and protect the environment, in 2007 we carried out a follow-up inspection to again check on efforts to prevent and control water pollution in the areas around the Huai and Liao rivers.

3. We strived to improve the effectiveness of oversight. The NPC's oversight of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate is oversight with the force of law carried out in the name of the country and the people. We are always subservient to and serve the work of the Party and the state, carry out our activities in accordance with the law and prescribed procedures and exercise our responsibilities and powers collectively. We submit pertinent and practicable comments and suggestions based on thorough survey and research work and a great deal of firsthand information, working to urge concerned parties to solve problems that have become common and seem to indicate an unhealthy trend and to urge them to set up a permanent mechanism to address such problems. The State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate pay close attention to the comments and suggestions of the Standing Committee and have done a great deal of painstaking work to address them. With the concerted effort of all parties involved, real progress has been made through the oversight work of the NPC in solving certain problems with an overall impact that have long awaited resolution.

We promoted resolution of the problem of arrears in export tax rebate payments. The Standing Committee carried out thorough surveys and studies and then made three suggestions to the State Council in 2003: The first was to make sure that from now on all tax rebate payments are paid on time. The second was to use surplus revenue from the central government budget to clear up longstanding arrears as soon as possible. The third was to reform the tax rebate mechanism. In accordance with the recommendations of the Standing Committee, the State Council took a total of 242.2billion yuan from the surplus revenue four years in row to clear up longstanding arrears and promptly passed a decision to reform the export tax rebate system. These efforts have contributed greatly to the resolution of the problems of arrears in tax rebate payments.

We promoted resolution of the problem of wages in arrears for rural migrant workers in cities and other workers. Inspection of the enforcement of the Construction Law and comments submitted by ordinary citizens through letters and visits revealed in 2003 that there was a problem of wages in arrears for rural migrant workers in cities. The Standing Committee called on governments at all levels and concerned departments to adopt effective measures to solve the problem. Through inspection of enforcement of the Law on Labor Unions and the Labor Law, we clearly suggested basic resolution of the problem of long overdue employee wages and payments to the social security fund by the end of 2007. Statistics show that as of the end of 2006 all wages due to rural migrant workers in cities in arrears since 2003 or before, totaling 33.7 billion yuan, had been paid. As of the end of 2007, most provincial-level localities had basically solved the problem of long overdue employee wages. A small number of these localities with old industrial bases in their jurisdictions where the task of clearing up long overdue wages was particularly heavy expect to basically clear up the arrears in the first half of 2008.

We promoted improvement in production safety. In 2005 we inspected the implementation of the Law on Production Safety. The Standing Committee clearly proposed that the number of major large-scale gas explosions in coalmines should be greatly reduced within about two years and that strong efforts should be made to resolve the problem of small, illegal coalmines within three years to address the serious problem of coalmine safety in China. The State Council attached great importance to this proposal and promptly called an executive conference to carry out a special study and make arrangements for production safety work. As of the end of 2007, 11,200 small illegal coalmines had been closed. The number of major, large-scale gas explosions was down 46.3% and the number of fatalities down 65.4% in 2007 compared to the figures for 2005.

We promoted fairness in the judicial system. We encouraged and supported the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security in their joint special campaign to completely clear up the problem of people being held for excessively long periods of time without sentencing, an issue that has drawn a strong reaction from deputies and the general public. Specific regulations were formulated to correct and prevent the holding of suspects without sentencing for excessively long periods of time, requiring notice be given of the amount of time a suspect can be held without being charged and notice be given when that time has expired, and setting up a system for people to bring suit when an uncharged suspect has not been released after the specified period of time has elapsed and assign legal responsibility for such action. This basically cleared up longstanding cases of persons held for excessively long periods of time without being charged. In order to promote fairness in the judicial system through institutions and mechanisms, we called on judicial and procuratorial organs to address the issue beginning with the job positions and links where problems are likely to occur, make sure all institutions are sound and improve internal oversight mechanisms. The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate attached great importance to the opinions of the Standing Committee. The courts improved their oversight system and oversight measures in terms of important links such as the opening of a case, hearing of a case, enforcement of the judgment and judgment oversight and key areas such as standardization of the actions of judges. The procuratorates improved regular oversight, launched special investigations and reviews, and improved training for procuratorial staff, attaining positive results. In addition, we urged relevant authorities to effectively address the practical staffing and financial difficulties of lower-level courts and procuratorates.

III. The Work Related to NPC Deputies

Deputies to the NPC are members of the country's highest organ of state power. Doing the work related to deputies well is an important task of the Standing Committee. The Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC attached great importance to the role of deputies. The Standing Committee formed and improved a set of systems and methods to support deputies in the legal exercise of their functions and powers and ensure that they are able to do so. As a result, this work has entered a new stage. During the past five years we processed 3,772 proposals and 29,323 suggestions from deputies, and issued 663 invitations to deputies to attend meetings of the Standing Committee and 1,700 invitations to participate in inspections of law enforcement and research on legislation. We organized research on special topics involving 5,354 deputies, and inspection tours with 9,000 deputies participating. We also held 14 training sessions and special topic discussion seminars attended by 1,050 deputies.

1. We gave full play to the role of the deputies to the people's congresses as an important means of upholding and improving the system of people's congresses. The system of people's congresses is China's system of political power. The deputies to the people's congresses have a broad base among the people, enabling them to reflect the opinions and demands of the people, and they exercise state power on behalf of the people. After carrying out thorough survey and research work, we formulated some guidelines on how to give still more play to the role of the deputies and improve the standing committee system in line with the guiding principles set out at the Sixteenth National Party Congress and the Fourth Plenary Session of the Sixteenth CPC Central Committee. In May 2005 the Central Committee approved and sent out these guidelines in the form of Document No. 9, further clarifying the orientation and focus of efforts to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses and the work of the people's congresses under the new conditions. We diligently implemented the guiding principles set out in Document No. 9, further deepened our awareness of the importance of doing the work related to deputies well and confirmed that an important means of upholding and improving the system of people's congresses was to give full play to that role. As a result, we formulated work documents on the activities, proposals and suggestions of deputies to promote institutionalization and standardization of the work related to deputies and define procedures for this work, which not only further strengthened their role, but also ensured that the work of the Standing Committee remained dynamic.

2. We supported deputies in the legal exercise of their duties and ensured that they are able to do so as an important measure for giving full play to their role. To meet the requirements of Document No. 9, the organs of the NPC, which are the collective assistant and service provider for deputies, improved their service and guarantee work and created conditions to help deputies in the legal exercise of their duties and powers. First, in addition to continuing to do a good job holding meetings to report to deputies on the situation and sending them relevant bulletins, NPC organs sent many other types of printed materials to deputies to help them better understand the overall situation. Second, before NPC sessions deputies were organized to review and discuss important proposals and reports that would be presented and deliberated at the sessions so that the proposals and reports could be revised in light of their opinions. Third, participation of deputies in the activities of the Standing Committee was expanded, standardized and institutionalized. The number of deputies invited to participate in each meeting of the Standing Committee was increased from about 10 to about 40. The number of deputies participating in law enforcement inspections and legislative research activities was also expanded by a large margin. Fourth, in addition to continuing to organize inspection tours for deputies, beginning in 2005 special topic survey and research activities were also organized for deputies every year. This resulted in the generation of 490 reports on these activities, and many of the results contained in these reports played a positive role in making major state policy decisions. Fifth, training for deputies on how to carry out their duties was increased, and a book on the legal exercise of their duties was compiled. In addition, contact offices were set up for deputies at organs of the standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses and funding for deputy activities was increased, thus improving services for them.

3. We handled the proposals and suggestions of deputies more effectively as an important link in supporting deputies in the legal exercise of their duties and ensuring that they are able to do so. It is the legally mandated duty of the NPC, a state organ, to diligently handle the proposals and suggestions of its deputies. We have obtained substantial results in improving the way proposals and suggestions are handled.

The role of deputy proposals in legislative work was further strengthened. First, the legislative items contained in deputy proposals were fully considered in formulating long-term and annual plans for legislation. A total of 92 legislative items contained in 2,177 proposals were incorporated into these plans. Second, the leading deputies submitting proposals were invited to participate in the drafting and deliberation of corresponding draft laws, and opinions were broadly solicited from other deputies. A total of 48 legislative items contained in 1,132 proposals were deliberated and passed and many comments and suggestions of deputies were reflected in the laws that were passed. Third, where many proposals were centered around legislative items such as the Law on Food Safety, we urged the concerned authorities to draft a bill and submit it for deliberation as soon as possible. Fourth, we directly formulated draft bills by standardizing and improving deputy proposals that were fairly comprehensive and high in quality when conditions were ripe for passing such legislation. The difficulty of bringing lawsuits to court and the difficulty of ensuring compliance with court decisions generated strong resentment in society. During the Fifth Session of the Tenth NPC, some members of the delegations of Hunan Province and other places submitted a proposal to revise the Civil Procedure Law and a suggested amended bill based on thorough survey and investigation work, extensive solicitation of opinions and a careful review of past experience. The decision of the Standing Committee on revising the Civil Procedure Law was formed on the basis of this proposal. This was a first in the legislative work of the Standing Committee.

New methods were adopted for handling deputy suggestions. First, we improved general analysis and instituted unified referral of suggestions. On this basis, conspicuous problems often brought up by deputies were made the focus of efforts to handle suggestions, through relevant special committees. Second, for suggestions that involved several departments, the concerned departments jointly handled them, with the main organization taking the major responsibility. Third, we improved communication with deputies and placed greater emphasis on obtaining substantive results in handling suggestions. The Standing Committee began in 2005 to listen to and deliberate annual reports on how the suggestions, criticisms and opinions of deputies were handled, and began printing and distributing the reports to all deputies. Through the concerted efforts of all sides, by 2007 76% of all the problems brought up by deputies had been solved or were being seriously addressed.

The election of the deputies to the people's congresses is a great event in China's socialist democratic politics. The NPC and its Standing Committee promptly made decisions and issued guidelines based on thorough surveys and studies to ensure that the simultaneous elections to elect the next county and township people's congresses and the work of electing the deputies to the Eleventh NPC were successfully conducted. All localities diligently carried out the arrangements of the central authorities, upheld the leadership of the Party, gave full play to democracy, handled affairs strictly in accordance with the law, smoothly carried out county and township elections to select deputies to the new people's congresses and smoothly elected the deputies to the Eleventh NPC. This provided a firm organizational guarantee for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and creating new horizons for the work of the people's congresses.

IV. Foreign Contact Work

The foreign contact work of the NPC is an important component of the country's overall diplomatic work. We stayed subservient to and continued to serve the country's overall diplomatic work, paid close attention to giving full play to the characteristics and advantages of the NPC's foreign relations work, stepped up friendly contacts with the congresses and parliaments of other countries and actively participated in the activities of international and regional parliamentary organizations, making a positive contribution to efforts to safeguard the current important period of strategic opportunities for the country's development and promote world harmony. The NPC has established mechanisms for regular exchange with the congresses and parliaments of 14 countries and the European Parliament, has established or maintains contact with the congresses and parliaments of 178 countries, has set up bilateral friendship groups with the congresses and parliaments of 98 countries, and has become a member country of 12 international and regional parliamentary organizations and an observing member of 3 multilateral parliamentary organizations. During the past five years the NPC has received 109 delegations led by foreign congressional or parliamentary leaders visiting China and members of the Chairperson's Council have visited foreign countries on 58 occasions. The special committees and functional organs of the Standing Committee have also engaged in a wide variety of forms of foreign contact activities with rich content. A system of joint conferences on foreign affairs work has been set up to improve overall planning and coordination for the foreign contact work of the NPC.

One important result of the foreign contact work of the Tenth NPC was to set up and improve mechanisms for regular exchange with the congresses and parliaments of other countries. First, we established or improved mechanisms for regular exchange with the congresses or parliaments of the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Egypt and Brazil and the European Parliament on the basis of the work of the previous two terms of the NPC. A highly representative pattern of mechanisms for regular exchange has been formed to include neighboring countries, developing countries, developed countries and multilateral organizations on all the continents. This group of mechanisms has become an important platform for strengthening strategic dialogue and improving practical cooperation between the NPC and the congresses and parliaments of other countries. Second, through these mechanisms for regular exchange, we have made overall arrangements for exchanges and cooperation at every level and in every area between leaders, special committees and friendship groups of the NPC and their foreign counterparts so that they can carry out substantive dialogue on major issues of common concern. We have also urged all sides to comply with the legally binding documents they have signed. All this has markedly increased the breadth and depth of exchanges and cooperation. The mechanisms for regular exchange preserve the continuity and stability of exchange between the NPC and foreign congresses and parliaments and reduce the impact of the election of new congressional and parliamentary members, change in ruling party and change in leadership in other countries. With the strong support of concerned departments, the General Office of the Standing Committee also sent fulltime personnel to Chinese embassies or diplomatic corps in the above countries and regional parliamentary organizations to strengthen regular contact with their congresses and parliaments.

In our foreign contact work, we always bore in mind the overriding task of creating an excellent international environment for the country's efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, vividly demonstrated the great achievements we had made in reform and opening up, fully described the socialist path with Chinese characteristics, let everyone know about the characteristics and advantages of our system of people's congresses and fully explained China's path of peaceful development. We also strengthened mutual political trust, developed practical cooperation and promoted overall development of the relations between China and other countries. We made use of all sorts of venues and adopted various forms depending on the situation in each country to painstakingly explain our position on issues affecting China's core interests such as the questions of Taiwan and Tibet to increase understanding and support concerning these issues among the congresses and parliaments, governments, legislators and ordinary people of other countries and to deepen the political base for relations between China and other countries.

Over the past five years, the Standing Committee also ratified 74 treaties and agreements concluded between China and other countries or international treaties to which China agreed to abide, and decided on and approved the hiring or dismissal of a number of employees of state organs.

The Standing Committee, a permanent organ of the NPC, has been assigned important responsibilities by the Constitution and laws. Intensifying the Standing Committee's self-improvement efforts is extremely important to getting the NPC and its Standing Committee to play their role as the highest organ of state power, a working body fulfilling its responsibilities in accordance with the law and a representative body in close contact with the people.

The Standing Committee fully took into consideration the realities of the work of the NPC during the past five years while keeping self-improvement high on the agenda. First, we carefully studied and gained a thorough understanding of the guiding principles set out at the Sixteenth and Seventeenth National Party Congresses, firmly established the concept of giving high priority to the Party, politics, the overall situation, the people, and the law and always applied the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to guide and promote our work. In addition, we became more conscientious and resolute in upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and in following and developing the socialist path with Chinese characteristics. Second, we formulated 13 support documents touching on six different areas related to the implementation of Document No. 9 of the CPC Central Committee on the basis of a review of past experience, promoting the institutionalization and standardization of the work of the Standing Committee. Third, we attached great importance to survey and research efforts, paid close attention to actual conditions on the ground, to lower-level organizations and to the masses and attached great importance to ensuring clean and efficient government, thus improving the work style of the Standing Committee. Fourth, we worked hard to strengthen our ability to carry out our duties in accordance with the law and improve our actual performance in doing so. We staged 30 special topic lectures to enhance our knowledge of the law and modern science and humanities in line with the legislative and oversight work of the Standing Committee, markedly improving the deliberations and work performance of the Standing Committee. Fifth, we conscientiously accepted the oversight by NPC deputies and the masses, improved the system for releasing information and the work of reporting on sessions, did a good job operating the NPC website, the People's Congresses Journal and the television program "The NPC on the Law" and started live broadcasting of meetings of the Standing Committee on the Internet, substantially increasing the transparency of the work of the Standing Committee. The special committees closely tied all their efforts to the core tasks of the NPC and its Standing Committee, took full advantage of their personnel, improved their work system, standardized their style of work and strengthened their coordination, playing an important role in raising the quality and level of the performance of the NPC and its Standing Committee.

The organs of the NPC carried out an extensive education campaign to preserve the advanced nature of Party members in accordance with the requirement for their employees to be politically reliable, professionally competent, pragmatic and highly productive, observe proper conduct in their work style, have team spirit, cooperate well with others, and be clean and honest. They diligently adhered to the Civil Servant Law and stepped up efforts to improve themselves politically, organizationally, institutionally, ideologically and professionally and to improve their work style. As a result, these organs strengthened their role as collective adviser, assistant and service provider for deputies.

The achievements of the Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC were made under the correct leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary and are the result of the hard work of the deputies, the members of the Standing Committee and the special committees and the employees of the organs of the NPC. Credit is also due to the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate for their assistance and to the local people's congresses and their standing committees and the masses for their support. On behalf of the Standing Committee of the Tenth NPC, I would now like to express my sincerest thanks to the NPC deputies, the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the deputies of the local people's congresses!

At the same time, we are fully aware that although a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics has basically taken shape, there is still a pressing need for laws covering certain practical aspects of life that have yet to be formulated, that provisions of some current laws that do not meet the needs of economic and social development sorely need to be revised and improved, and that some regulations to support laws need to be formulated or improved as soon as possible. Moreover, studies on the feasibility of some legislative items have not been thorough enough, balance and coordination in legislative work need to be improved and more needs to be done to educate the public about the law. Although the effectiveness of oversight has been markedly improved, there is still not enough attention being paid to key areas and some special work reports are nothing more than "going through the motions." Though the handling of deputy proposals and suggestions has improved somewhat, it still falls short of the expectations and demands of deputies. We must pay close attention to these problems and adopt effective measures in our work to address them.

Fellow Deputies,

The system of people's congresses already has a brilliant history of more than half a century, and it has displayed huge advantages and strong vitality. Looking back on the great achievements that have been made in improving the system of people's congresses over the past 50 years and more, especially the past 30 years since the introduction of the policy of reform and opening up, and reviewing the recent experience of the Tenth NPC and its Standing Committee, we are keenly aware that in order to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses and effectively carry out the work of the NPC in the new situation, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly keep to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, steadfastly follow the guidance of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and organically combine the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country and the rule of law.

First, we must keep to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics. A country must first of all take into consideration its own situation and actual conditions when deciding what kind of path of political development it will follow. The socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics is a correct path formed by the CPC in leading the people of all the ethnic groups in China during a long period of arduous struggle. In terms of the system of political power, keeping to this path means practicing the system of people's congresses. In terms of the system of political parties, it means practicing the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. In terms of areas with concentrations of ethnic minorities, it means practicing a system of regional ethnic autonomy. Finally, it means practicing autonomy at the community level in urban areas and village level in rural areas. This path has both scientific guidelines and a well-organized framework of institutions, as well as clearly oriented values, effective forms and a reliable driving force. It embodies the features and advantages of socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics. Time has amply shown that this is a path of political development that suits the conditions in China and that it is conducive to unleashing and developing the productive forces, enhancing overall national strength and improving living standards. It is also conducive to safeguarding national unity, increasing solidarity among ethnic groups and promoting social harmony, as well as to ensuring that the CPC can lead the people in effectively governing the country and achieving lasting peace and stability of the nation. The system of people's congresses, the fundamental political system of the country, is an important component of the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics. In keeping to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics, it is important to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses. China's political system is neither a system of checks and balances among three branches nor a bicameral system. The NPC exercises state power in a unified way, and the administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the state are all created by the NPC, are responsible to it and are overseen by it. Although the various state organs have different responsibilities, their goals are all exactly the same. They all carry out their work in a coordinated manner under the leadership of the CPC. In order to keep to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics and adhere to and improve the system of people's congresses, we must correctly balance the relationship between the NPC on the one hand and the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on the other. The NPC should fully fulfill its responsibilities in collectively exercising state power, but it cannot take over the exercise of administrative, judicial or procuratorial power. The NPC decides on major principles and policies of the country by formulating laws and making resolutions in accordance with the stands of the Party and the will of the people. It also oversees and supports the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate in carrying out their administrative functions in accordance with the law and ensures that they are fair in exercising their judicial functions, and that state organs carry out their work in a coordinated and effective manner. The NPC must truly use the power granted to it by the people to further their interests, giving full play to the advantages of the system of people's congresses. The most fundamental aspect of keeping to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics and upholding and improving the system of people's congresses is organically integrating the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as the masters of the country and the rule of law, and the key is upholding the leadership of the Party. The leadership of the Party is a fundamental guarantee both for retaining the position of the people as masters of the country and ensuring that the country is run by the rule of law and for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and effectively carrying out the work of the NPC in the new situation. We must conscientiously uphold the leadership of the Party to ensure that the stands of the Party become the will of the state through legally stipulated procedures and that the personnel recommended by Party organizations become the leaders of the organs of state power through legally stipulated procedures. The work of the NPC, including legislative work, oversight work and deciding on major issues, must all be conducive to improving the leadership of the Party, consolidating its position as the ruling party and ensuring that it is able to lead the people in effectively running the country.

Second, we must always take the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the starting point. The position of the people as masters of the country is the essence and core of socialist democratic politics. The system of people's congresses is the fundamental way and highest format for the people of all the country's ethnic groups to act as masters of the country. The greatest advantage of the NPC is that it maintains close contact with the masses. As long as the NPC maintains flesh and blood contact with the masses, constantly works to better represent their will and conscientiously accepts their oversight, its work will remain full of vitality. We must always put people first, make the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of them the starting point and ultimate objective of all the work of the NPC, respect their principal position in the country's political life, make good use of their creative spirit and guarantee all their rights and interests. We must ensure that all the power of the state belongs to the people, improve democratic institutions, diversify the forms of democracy and expand its channels. We need to expand the orderly participation of ordinary citizens in political affairs at each level and in every field and protect their right to participate in democratic elections, decision-making, administration and oversight in accordance with the law. We must continue to adhere to the mass line and give more play to the advantages and role of the NPC in understanding and reflecting public sentiment, pooling the wisdom of the people and respecting their resources. We must correctly reflect and balance the interests of different groups in society, diligently urge the concerned parties to promptly solve the most practical problems of the utmost and immediate concern to the people, ensure their well being, improve their lives, mobilize their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity to the greatest extent possible, and fulfill, safeguard and develop the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.

Third, we must always center our work around the work of the Party and the state. The work of the NPC is an important component of the work of the Party and the state, touches on many areas of socialist economic, political, cultural and social development, and has a bearing on efforts to realize comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development of all the undertakings of the country. The work of the NPC is playing a more and more important role in the political life of the country as the system of people's congresses is improved. A key condition for improving the effectiveness of the work of the NPC and raising it to a new level is to ensure that it is subservient to and serves the core tasks of the Party and the state and that it steadfastly promotes development, which is the top priority in the Party's governance of and efforts to rejuvenate the country. In addition, the NPC must constantly strive to improve its work by closely linking it to efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, address the major issues affecting reform, development and stability and resolve difficult hotspot issues of common concern to the people. The Scientific Outlook on Development is a concentrated expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology on development. It is a scientific theory that is in the same vein as Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and that is in step with the times. It is an important guiding principle for China's economic and social development and a major strategic approach that we must follow and apply in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. The NPC should diligently study and fully put into practice the Scientific Outlook on Development, thoroughly arrange and plan all legislative, oversight and other work, persevere in reform and opening up, keep up with the times, pool its resources, and concentrate on key areas, first of all taking into consideration its assigned functions and characteristics in order to open up new horizons in its work directly tied to the overall work of the Party and state. The NPC should ensure that the major policies and principles of the Party and the state as well as the Constitution and laws are correctly implemented and that reform, opening up and socialist modernization proceed smoothly.

Fourth, we must always handle affairs in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures. Democratic centralism is the organizational principle for the system of people's congresses as well as a principle by which the NPC and its Standing Committee must abide when exercising their functions and powers in accordance with the law. The way the NPC carries out its work is very different from that of other state organs. The NPC and its Standing Committee mainly do their work through meetings, in compliance with the principle of democratic centralism and following legally stipulated procedures, and exercise their functions and powers and decide on issues collectively. In carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law, regardless of whether they are exercising legislative power, power of oversight, power to make decisions on major issues or power to appoint and dismiss personnel, they must always fully uphold democracy and handle matters strictly in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures. The opinions of all the deputies and members of the Standing Committee must be heard, even the opposing opinions, and their democratic rights to fully express their opinions must be guaranteed. Matters should be fully deliberated to get a full range of ideas and opinions so that voting is based on a basic consensus, and decisions should be made on the basis of majority opinion with one vote per person so that the laws formulated and decisions made by the NPC fully reflect the common will of the people and are authoritative.

Fellow Deputies,

At the Seventeenth National Party Congress convened in October of last year, some major questions were answered concerning the Party in this crucial stage of reform and opening up, such as what banner we should hold up, what path we should take, what our attitude should be and what our development goals should be as we continue to make our way forward. In addition, the content, essence and fundamental requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development were elucidated and the grand blueprint for accelerating socialist modernization in the new era was formulated. Finally, the direction we must take in continuing to promote the development of the causes of the Party and the state was clearly pointed out and new and higher requirements for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and successfully carrying out the work of the NPC under the new conditions were introduced.

The year 2008 is the first year for fully implementing the strategic arrangements made at the Seventeenth Congress as well as the first year for the Eleventh NPC and its Standing Committee to carry out their duties in accordance with the law. We will be marking the 30th anniversary of the reform and opening up policy and we will be hosting the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics as well. It is extremely important for us to do our work well this year. The Standing Committee must place thorough study and comprehensive implementation of the guiding principles set out at the Seventeenth Congress at the top of its agenda and become more conscientious and determined in holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keeping to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, upholding the system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and promoting balanced socialist economic, political, cultural and social development. We must uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, and constantly work to bring the work of the NPC up to a new level.

1. We need to waste no time in formulating laws that have an important role in the legal system and promptly revise laws and regulations that are not suitable for the current stage of economic and social development, first of all taking into consideration the basic situation in the country, putting people first and seeking truth from facts, with the goal of improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. We must urge the relevant authorities to formulate or revise supporting regulations for laws to ensure completion of the formation of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010. We must pass more social legislation, focusing on improving people's well being, continue to improve legislation related to economic, political and cultural affairs, work vigorously to make legislation more scientific and democratic, constantly improve the quality of legislation and give even more play to the standardizing, guiding and ensuring role of the law in the country's political and social life.

First, we must waste no time in working out a five-year legislation plan, convene conferences on legislative work as needed and make all necessary arrangements for legislative work. 

Second, we plan to deliberate about 20 draft laws this year, formulate the Law on State-owned Assets, the Social Security Law, the Food Safety Law, the Circular Economy Law and the Law on Arbitration of Disputes Concerning Contracted Rural Land and revise the Electoral Law, the Organic Law of the NPC, and the Law on State Compensation. 

Third, we must strengthen coordination and cooperation in legislative work, urge departments drafting laws to carry out careful research to solve major problems related to legislation and ensure that draft bills that are included in annual legislative plans are submitted for deliberation on schedule while still ensuring the quality of draft legislation. 

Fourth, we must further expand the orderly participation of ordinary citizens in legislative work. For laws such as the Food Safety Law that are closely tied to the interests of the people, the draft laws should be publicly posted so that the opinions of all sides can be heard, particularly those of ordinary people. For laws such as the Social Security Law that involve complicated legal and technical issues, a wide range of opinions should be solicited and the issues involved carefully studied and discussed through debates and other means.

2. First of all taking into consideration the work of the Party and the state, we must put improvement of the effectiveness of oversight at the center of all our efforts related to oversight. We must always handle matters in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures, collectively exercise our functions and powers, fully implement the Law on Oversight, step up efforts to implement the Constitution and laws, and put the focus of oversight on serious problems that affect overall reform, development and stability, that have an impact on social harmony and that cause great resentment among the masses. We must use a combination of legally defined oversight means, strengthen thorough oversight and work hard for substantive results. Striving to promote improvement in the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, we need to set up a sound permanent mechanism for solving problems. We must ensure that wherever there is a law it must be obeyed and enforced strictly and that persons who violate laws are prosecuted, safeguard social fairness and justice and the unity, sanctity and authority of the socialist legal system, and give more play to the oversight role of the NPC in promoting law-based government administration, ensuring fairness in the judicial system and protecting the interests of the people.

First, we must promote both sound and rapid development of the national economy by listening to and deliberating the State Council's report on the intermediate assessment of the implementation of the Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, work reports on plan implementation, the final accounts of the central government and auditing and other special work reports and urging relevant departments to implement the guidelines set out at the Central Economic Work Conference. 

Second, we need to promote the building of a new socialist countryside by listening to and deliberating the State Council's report on promoting steady increase in rural incomes and by inspecting the implementation of the Law on Specialized Farmer Cooperatives. 

Third, we need to promote efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions by listening to and deliberating the special work reports of the State Council on progress in efforts to prevent and control water pollution and by inspecting the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law. 

Fourth, we need to truly protect the lawful rights and interests of workers and ensure the healthy growth of children by inspecting the implementation of the Law on Labor Contracts, the Compulsory Education Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. 

Fifth, we must promote fairness in the judicial system and safeguard social stability by listening to and deliberating the special work reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on criminal prosecution and oversight for laws on criminal prosecution.

3. We need to respect the principal position of NPC deputies, maintain an attitude of service to them, further improve the work system, intensify efforts and create the conditions necessary for them to exercise their functions and powers in accordance with the law, maintain even closer contact with the people and expand their participation in the activities of the Standing Committee, centering efforts on full implementation of Document No. 9 of the Central Committee and starting with efforts to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses in order to constantly raise the level of the work related to deputies and strengthen their role in participating in the administration of state affairs.

First, we must carefully handle the proposals and suggestions that deputies submitted during the First Session of the Eleventh NPC. We need to be more effective in taking into consideration deputy proposals in legislative work and be more effective in using deputy proposals to improve the work of the NPC and truly improve the handling of deputy proposals. 

Second, we will continue to organize special topic surveys and collective inspection tours for deputies, improve activities for deputy teams and enhance the effectiveness of activities. 

Third, we will continue to invite deputies to attend meetings of the Standing Committee, increase the number of deputies invited to participate in law enforcement inspections by an appropriate amount and further expand deputy participation in the activities of special committees. 

Fourth, within the year we plan to organize various forms of training for new deputies on how to carry out their duties to strengthen their ability to carry out their duties in accordance with the law and further improve the work of deputy contact offices.

4. We need to focus on consolidating and improving the mechanisms for regular exchange, first of all taking into consideration the characteristics and advantages of the foreign contact work of the NPC. We must continue to maintain the safeguarding of world peace and promotion of development for all as the objective of our foreign policy and be subservient to and serve the country's overall diplomatic work. We need to maintain continuity and stability in our foreign contact work, extensively engage in friendly contact with the congresses and parliaments of other countries, actively participate in the activities of international and regional parliamentary organizations, increase exchange activities to share governance experience, promote practical cooperation in all areas and make better use of the unique role of the NPC's foreign contact work.

5. The Standing Committee will continue to intensify its self-improvement efforts. We need to improve the work system, carry out surveys and investigations, maintain close ties with the people, conscientiously accept oversight, give full play to the role of the special committees and continuously work to improve the quality of deliberation and the level of our work. We need to continue improving efforts to teach the public about the legal system and vigorously promote implementation of the fifth five-year plan to increase public awareness of the law. Focusing on laws that affect the immediate interests of the people, we need to increase knowledge of the law in society, explain the reasons for passing laws, use the law to solve practical problems and effectively enhance respect for the law and increase awareness of the legal system throughout society. We must continue to improve contacts with local people's congresses and work with them to promote development of socialist democracy and the socialist legal system. Focusing on improving their competence, organs of the NPC should work harder on all aspects of improvement to strengthen their role as collective adviser, assistant and service provider.

Fellow Deputies,

Let us rally closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, take Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as our guide, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, break new ground for the future, strive for greater progress, and work diligently to win new victories in the effort to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and open up new prospects for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics!