The Leading Party Members' Group of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee holds a meeting to study and implement the important speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the third plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the spirit of the plenum in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2018. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING -- The Leading Party Members' Group of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee held a meeting Friday to study the spirit of the third plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The meeting, presided over by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, stressed that it is necessary to fully study and implement the spirit and the important speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, at the plenum, according to a statement issued after the meeting.

The meeting stressed the significance of the plenum in comprehensively strengthening the Party's leadership over all the work and upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The meeting praised that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has been "staying true to our founding mission" and achieved new progress in all areas of the Party and the state since the first plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee.

The meeting also underscored the importance of deepening the reform of Party and state institutions, a key decision adopted during the plenum, calling it a major political decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core and a significant reform initiative that meets the development need of "socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era."

The meeting stressed the importance of preparing for the first session of the 13th NPC to make sure that through legal procedures, the Party's proposals could become the will of the state.

The plenum examinaed and adopted a list of proposed candidates for state leadership, which is to be recommended to the first session of the 13th NPC, and a proposed candidate list for the leadership of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which is to be recommended to the first session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee.

The annual sessions of the NPC and CPPCC National Committee are scheduled to open on March 5 and March 3, respectively.

The Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee also held a meeting Friday to study the spirit of the plenum and Xi's important speech. Guo Shengkun, head of the commission, presided over the meeting and called on the political and legal forces to ensure the security of the upcoming two sessions.

The 19th CPC Central Committee 3rd plenum was held from Feb. 26 to 28 in Beijing.