Xi Jinping is expected to receive his third five-year term as president at the National People’s Congress (NPC).
China’s legislature will vote in the coming days on a plan to reform institutions under the State Council, or Cabinet, and decide on a new cabinet line for the next five years, giving a- enter a new prime minister, the agenda for Saturday appeared.
The National People’s Congress (NPC) will also review a series of reports including the government’s current work report, parliament speaker Wang Chao told a press conference.
Draft amendments to the country’s Legislative Law, which governs how laws are implemented, are also on the agenda of the meeting that is to begin on Sunday.
In the last half of the NPC, which runs until March 13, nearly 3,000 members of parliament will elect and rubber-stamp a new line of top government officials.
Xi Jinping is widely expected to get his third five-year term as president when lawmakers vote on March 10.
He renewed calls this week for “intensive” reorganization of state and Communist Party organizations, adding that part of the reform plan related to state institutions would be presented to parliament.
Lawmakers are also expected to vote on the State Council’s institutional reform plan on March 10.
The call for institutional reforms comes after China’s economy grew by 3 percent last year – one of its slowest rates in nearly half a century – weakened by tight curves COVID-19 protected by Xi raised in December.
On Sunday, the government’s work report to be delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the start of parliament will reveal the official economic growth target of 2023, among many other social and economic goals.
The gross domestic product (GDP) target could be as high as 6 percent, compared with a 4.5 percent-5.5 percent range suggested in November, sources told Reuters this week .
New premier
A new prime minister for the next five years will be decided by parliament on March 11. A day later, she will decide on a new batch of vice presidents, state councilors, ministers as well as the governor of the People’s Bank of China.
Among the changes to China’s Legislative Law to be reviewed at the meeting is a proposal to allow the NPC Standing Committee to issue laws in the event of an “emergency” after a single review.
The committee, which implements and amends laws when parliament is not in session, voted in June 2020 to adopt special laws on national security in Hong Kong. That legislation was voted down after two rounds of deliberation.
Legislators will vote on the draft amendments to the Legislative Law on March 13.
