About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


1 1 (August 17, 2000)

handle is hein.crs/crsahkz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS20655 August 17, 2000 China: The National People's Congress Samuel Wolfe Research Associate Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The National People's Congress (NPC) is The People's Republic of China (PRC)'s less-powerful counterpart to the U.S. Congress. Although China's constitution establishes the NPC as the highest organ of state power, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to dominate the congress, as it has throughout the NPC's history. During the most recent NPC meeting in March 2000, the congress focused on economic reform, corruption, Falun Gong, and entry into the World Trade Organization. Exchanges between the U.S. Congress and the NPC are expanding. [For questions about this report, refer to Kerry Dumbaugh, Specialist in Asian Affairs of the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division.] The National People's Congress, a unicameral legislature, is the PRC's counterpart to the U.S. Congress. In recent years, there has been increasing interaction between the two legislatures. This report briefly considers recent developments in the NPC, describes how the NPC works, and discusses exchanges between the two congresses. Background Historically, the NPC has been a mostly symbolic organization.2 The State Council, whose key seats are filled with Chinese Communist Party politburo members, monopolizes Chinese government power. (The State Council is the PRC's supreme executive organ, which consists of the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and state councillors.) However, under The NPC differs from the U.S. Congress in that it is not powerful, is not democratically elected, meets infrequently, and has no effective autonomy. 2 George E. Delury and Deborah A. Kaple ed., World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties, 3' Edition. (New York: Facts on File, 1999) 207. Congressional Research Service The Library of Congress CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web