China's top legislature prepares for upcoming annual session

BEIJING - Major documents for the second annual session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), scheduled to open on March 5, have been adopted Wednesday at a bimonthly session of the NPC Standing Committee.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting of the session.

Over the past two days, the 171 members in attendance adopted the drafts of the agenda and the presidium and secretary-general name lists of the upcoming annual session, which will be submitted to a preparatory meeting before the session. They also passed a name list of non-voting delegates of the session.

The NPC Standing Committee's work report had also been endorsed in principle. Li was entrusted by the committee to deliver the report to the second session of the 13th NPC.

Li called for concerted efforts towards holding a successful annual legislative session.

Describing the upcoming session as a key meeting, Li said it would help bring people's mind and action in line with the decisions and plans made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and rally people to work together to accomplish various tasks of the year to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and its great achievements.

Li stressed the spirit of democracy, unity, result-seeking and striving for the progress of the annual session.

At the bimonthly meeting, lawmakers deliberated on two reports respectively focusing on pollution control and poverty relief.

Other documents adopted include a report on the qualification issues of certain NPC deputies, and appointment and dismissal matters.

After the closing meeting, Li presided over a lecture on the implementation of the country's rural vitalization strategy.