China’s National People’s Congress 2016

Abstract

This year the National People’s Congress (NPC), supreme legislative body of China, held the 4th plenary session of the 12th NPC from 5 to 16 March 2016. Simultaneously, the pre-eminent advisory body, China People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the upper house in its parliament, also met. This year the NPC’s fourth session was engaged in a varied and serious law making process wherein the legislative business included among other matters the approval of the key 13th Five Year plan of China for the next five years from 2016 to 2020. The NPC as an institution plays a key role in the law making process of China and its composition in terms of members provides authenticity to the law making process in China. This commentary is mainly concerned with the NPC session keeping in mind the aforesaid pointers.