Chapter  V

Addressing of Questions and Inquiries

Article 47  During deliberations by delegations on a bill or proposal and a relevant report, the department concerned shall send leading personnel to attend the meeting to listen to comments and answer questions raised by deputies.

During the deliberation on the work report of the government, examination of the report on the implementation of the plan for national economic and social development of the previous year and on the draft plan of this year as well as the draft plan, examination of the report on the implementation of the previous year's central and local budgets and on this year's draft budgets as well as the draft budgets, and deliberation of the work report of the Supreme People's Court and the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate at the general meetings of the delegations, leaders of the State Council and of the departments under the State Council, leaders of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate shall respectively attend the meetings, listen to comments and answer questions.

During deliberations by the Presidium and by the special committees on a bill or proposal and a relevant report, leaders of the State Council or the organs concerned shall attend the meeting to listen to comments and answer questions and may also make additional explanations about the bill or proposal and the relevant report.

Article 48  During a session of the National People's Congress, a delegation or a group of thirty or more deputies may submit written inquiries addressed to the State Council and the departments under the State Council, the National Commission of Supervision, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Article 49  In written inquiries, the objects to be inquired and the topics and contents to be inquired into must be clearly stated.

Article 50  With regard to written inquiries, the Presidium shall decide whether to request the head of the organ inquired to give an oral reply at a meeting of the Presidium, a meeting of the relevant special committee or a meeting of the relevant delegation, or to refer the inquires to the organ concerned for a written reply. If the reply is to be given at a meeting of the Presidium or of a special committee, the head of the delegation or the deputies who submitted the written inquires shall have the right to attend the meeting to express their opinions.

If the delegation or the deputies who submitted the written inquires are not satisfied with the reply, they may raise their request. The organ inquired shall, by decision of the Presidium, give another reply.

If the reply is given at a meeting of a special committee or a delegation, the relevant special committee or delegation shall report the reply and the related circumstances to the Presidium.

The Presidium may, when it deems it necessary, print for distribution at the session the report on the reply to the written inquires and the related circumstances.

If the reply is given in written form, it shall be signed by the head of the organ inquired and shall, by decision of the Presidium, be printed for distribution at the session.

Chapter  VI

Investigation Committees

Article 51  The National People's Congress may, when it deems it necessary, appoint committees for the investigation of specific questions.

Article 52  The Presidium, three or more delegations or a group of one tenth or more of the number of deputies may put forward a proposal for appointing committees for the investigation of specific questions. The proposal shall be submitted by the Presidium to a plenary meeting of the session for decision.

An investigation committee shall be composed of a chairperson and a certain number of vice-chairpersons and members, who shall be nominated by the Presidium from among the deputies and approved by a plenary meeting of the session. An investigation committee may invite specialists to participate in its investigations.

Article 53  When an investigation committee conducts investigations, all state organs, public organizations and citizens concerned shall be obliged to truthfully furnish the necessary information. If the citizens who furnish the information request the investigation committee to keep the sources of information confidential, the investigation committee shall keep them confidential.

The investigation committee may, in the course of its investigation, choose not to make public the information or materials obtained through investigation.

Article 54  An investigation committee shall submit an investigation report to the National People's Congress. The National People's Congress may adopt appropriate resolutions based on the report of the investigation committee.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress may be authorized by the National People's Congress to hear the investigation report of an investigation committee and adopt appropriate resolutions, when the National People's Congress is not in session, and shall report to the next session of the National People's Congress for the record.

Chapter  VII

Speaking and Voting

Article 55  Deputies to the National People's Congress shall not be held legally liable for their speeches or votes at various meetings of the National People's Congress.

Article 56  Speeches by deputies in meetings of a session of the National People’s Congress shall be based on topics of the meetings.

Article 57  A deputy who is to speak at a plenary meeting of a session may speak twice, with the first speech not exceeding ten minutes and the second speech not exceeding five minutes.

A deputy who asks to speak at a plenary meeting of a session shall sign up at the Secretariat before the meeting is convened, and the order of speeches shall be arranged by the executive chairpersons of the meeting. An impromptu speech at a plenary meeting of a session shall be subject to approval by the executive chairpersons.

Article 58  A member of the Presidium, the head of a delegation or a representative elected by a delegation may, at each meeting of the Presidium, speak twice on the same topic, with the first speech not exceeding fifteen minutes and the second speech not exceeding ten minutes. The time limit may be appropriately extended, if approved by the person presiding over the meeting.

Article 59  Bills or proposals put to the vote at a plenary meeting of a session shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of all the deputies.

An amendment to the Constitution shall be adopted by two thirds or more of the votes of all the deputies.     

The outcome of a voting shall be announced on the spot by the person presiding over the meeting.

In a voting, deputies can vote Yes or No or abstain from voting.

Article 60  At sessions of the National People's Congress, deputies shall vote anonymously on bills or proposals by pressing the buttons on the voting devices. If the voting devices fail during a voting, deputies shall vote by showing of hands.

An amendment to the Constitution shall be voted by anonymous ballot.

The provisions in the first paragraph apply to the procedure for voting in preparatory meetings and meetings of the Presidium.

Chapter VIII  

Announcement

Article 61  After the Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, Secretary-General, and members of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the President and Vice-Presidents of the People's Republic of China, the Chairperson of the Central Military Commission, the Chairperson of the National Commission of Supervision, the President of the Supreme People's Court and the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate are elected by the National People's Congress, the Vice-Chairpersons and members of the Central Military Commission are appointed by the National People's Congress, and nominations of members of special committees of the National People's Congress are approved by the National People's Congress, the election results, appointments, and nominations approved shall be made public by announcement of the National People's Congress.

The President of the People's Republic of China shall, based on the decisions of the National People's Congress, sign orders of the President to appoint and announce the Premier and Vice-Premiers of the State Council, State Councilors, ministers of departments of the State Council, chairpersons of commissions, the Governor of the People's Bank of China, the Auditor General of the National Audit Office, Secretary General of the State Council whose appointment are decided by the National People's Congress.

Article 62  The announcing procedure provided in Article 61 shall be applicable to the case where a member of a state organ resigns or is recalled during a session of the National People's Congress.

Article 63  An amendment to the Constitution passed by the National People's Congress shall be announced by an announcement of the National People's Congress.

Article 64  The laws passed by the National People's Congress shall be promulgated by orders of the President signed by the President of the People's Republic of China.

Article 65  The laws, resolutions, decisions, announcements, as well as the explanations and deliberation results of draft laws shall be published in the gazettes of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and on the website of the National People's Congress.

Chapter IX  

Supplementary Provisions

Article 66  These Rules shall come into force as of the date of promulgation.