Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has emphasized the importance of making deputies to people's congresses reach out to the public on a greater variety of issues and in more diverse ways, broadening channels of contact and actively responding to public concerns, so as to stay closer to the grassroots, understand the people's conditions, pool their wisdom and improve their well-being. Conducting investigation and research on specific subjects is an important way for deputies, as prescribed by the Law on Deputies to the National People's Congress and to the Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, to practice whole-process people's democracy and maintain close ties with the people. It is also an important channel for deputies to perform their duties in accordance with the law during the intersessional period, submit high-quality motions and suggestions, and fully exercise their role as deputies.

In 2005, the leading Party members group of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, in Several Opinions on Further Giving Play to the Role of Deputies to the National People's Congress and Strengthening the Institutional Development of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made it clear that deputies' participation in the activities of the NPC Standing Committee should be expanded and that deputies should be organized to take part in law enforcement inspections as well as investigation and research on specific subjects, so that they could understand how relevant laws were being implemented and how other work was progressing. In 2015, the leading Party members group of the 12th NPC Standing Committee set requirements for improving the mechanism for deputies to people's congresses at county and township levels to maintain contact with the people through research and other means, broadening the ways and channels for such contact, and ensuring smooth channels for expressing and reflecting social conditions and public opinions. At the legislative level, the standing committees of the 11th and 12th NPC amended the deputies law separately, stipulating that deputies to people's congresses at all levels shall, as arranged, conduct investigation and research on major issues concerning economic and social development, the vital interests of the people and of widespread public concern. The Law on Supervision by the Standing Committees of the People's Congresses at All Levels and the Organic Law of Local People's Congresses and Local People's Governments also contain provisions on deputies conducting investigation and research activities.

In March 2025, guided by Xi's important thoughts on upholding and improving the people's congress system, particularly his important expositions on deputies affairs, the 14th NPC, based on a comprehensive summary and embodiment of the achievements in improving and developing work related to deputies affairs in the new era, amended the deputies law for the fourth time. The amended law stipulates that actively participating in uniformly organized investigation and research on specific subjects is a statutory duty that deputies shall perform; deputies shall, as arranged, conduct investigation and research on specific subjects concerning economic and social development, the vital interests of the people, issues and matters of widespread public concern and the key work of the people's congresses standing committees at the corresponding levels, and may bring up suggestions, criticisms and opinions to the relevant organs or organizations, but shall not directly handle the matters; reports prepared by deputies based on their investigation and research on specific subjects shall be forwarded by the offices or working bodies of the standing committees of the people's congresses at corresponding levels to relevant State organs or organizations, and the relevant State organs or organizations shall provide feedback to deputies on the handling of the opinions and suggestions raised in the reports in time.

The 14th NPC Standing Committee has expanded and deepened the institutional mechanisms for maintaining contacts between State organs and deputies to people's congresses, and between deputies and the people, and has made deputies reach out to the public on a greater variety of issues and in more diverse ways. The NPC Standing Committee's annual work priorities and deputy work plan make arrangements for NPC deputies to conduct investigation and research on specific subjects. Every April, the Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee issues notices of investigation and research on specific subjects to all electoral units, making overall arrangements and putting forward specific requirements for organizing NPC deputies to conduct investigation and research on specific subjects in the current year in a law-based, orderly and standardized manner. The standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses, in accordance with the unified arrangements of the NPC Standing Committee, organize NPC deputies from their respective electoral units to conduct investigation and research on specific subjects. The relevant departments of the Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots and the Central Military Commission respectively organize NPC deputies from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, NPC deputies from Taiwan province and NPC deputies from the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force to conduct investigation and research on specific subjects. The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, in conjunction with the NPC Standing Committee's deliberation of their work reports, respectively organize some NPC deputies to conduct investigation and research on specific subjects. From 2023 to 2025, a total of 5,721 participants were organized to conduct 535 investigation and research projects on specific subjects, resulting in 372 research reports.  The reports were forwarded to relevant State organs and organizations for study and handling in accordance with procedures, with feedback provided to the deputies. At present, the investigation and research on specific subjects by NPC deputies in 2026 are being carried out in an orderly manner.

Under the leadership of the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee and the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee's organizational body, the Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has thoroughly implemented Xi's important thoughts on upholding and improving the people's congress system, fully and accurately implemented the amended deputies law, conscientiously acted on and strengthened guidance for standing committees of provincial-level people's congresses and relevant units in implementing the NPC Standing Committee's annual work priorities and deputy work plan and summarized the practical experience of deputies' investigation and research on specific subjects in a timely manner, so as to enhance the planning, organization, standardization and effectiveness of such activities. First, it has closely followed the major decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and integrated them with major issues concerning regional economic and social development, protection and improvement of people's well-being, and development democracy and the rule of law, as well as issues of widespread public concern. Second, it has carried out such activities in line with the NPC Standing Committee's annual law enforcement inspection work and the implementation of relevant laws, conducted comprehensive analysis and provided suggestions from the institutional and legal perspectives for reference by NPC Standing Committee members and relevant special committees. Third, it has strictly implemented the guiding principles of the CPC Central Committee's eight-point decision on improving conduct and the detailed rules for its implementation, organized deputies to go deep into the grassroots and the front line, engage in face-to-face exchanges with the people, gain a firsthand understanding of local conditions and listen to candid views, resolutely guarded against formalism and bureaucratism, upheld principles of pragmatism and efficiency and a simple and low-key approach, refrained from increasing burdens on the grassroots or organizing research activities across the boundaries of their original electoral units without approval. Fourth, it has strengthened overall coordination, guaranteed the time and treatment for deputies to participate in research activities in a law-based manner, actively addressed difficulties faced by grassroots deputies in performing their duties, and recorded deputies' participation in investigation and research on specific subjects in their performance files.

Author: Du Lei (Director of the Liaison Bureau of the Deputies Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee)