China to reform state government

The opening sessions of the plenary meetings of the Chinese National People’s Congress (CNC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CHSDK) will be held in the capital Beijing on March 4-5.

The first meetings of the 14th term of the two chambers elected for 5 years are important because officials elected to the party’s top levels at the 20th National Congress held in October 2022 of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules the country with the power of a single party, will be led to high state offices. In the National People’s Assembly, where the head of state, deputy and president of parliament will be elected, the new prime minister of the country and the new members of the Council of State, which fulfills the cabinet function, will be announced.

National media reports claim that the congress will also discuss institutional and administrative reforms aimed at restructuring the governing bodies of the party and the state. The content of the reforms is not yet known.

Premier Li Kiqiang, whose term in Congress will expire, will present the government’s work report to parliament. In addition to the assessments on the current economic situation, the report is expected to reveal data such as the growth target for 2023 and the part that will be allocated to defense spending in the budget.

THIRD SHI PERIOD

President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected at the 14th National Congress to carry his power to a third term. Xi, 69, was elected party general secretary for the third time at the 20th CPC Congress in October 2022, becoming the first leader to hold the party leadership for more than two terms since the founder of the People’s Republic of China. , Mao Zidong. .

While names close to Xi were chosen for the party’s top cadre at the CPC Congress, the “one man” position was reinforced by emphasizing that Xi was the party’s “central leader” and that his thoughts would guide the party. power of the CCP. with the reform carried out in the Party Statutes.

The signal that Xi would continue his third-term presidency came with the 2018 amendment to the Chinese constitution. With the amendment, the rule limiting the head of state’s term to two terms was abolished, thus paving the way for Xi’s third term.

With the constitutional reform of 2018, the norm that limited the mandate of the vice president to two terms was also repealed. However, Vice President Wang Chishan, 74, who has held this position for 5 years, is expected to resign. It is estimated that Han Cing, first vice premier, may be elected vice president instead of Wang.

After the National People’s Congress elects the president and vice president, the president will appoint the new prime minister and cabinet members as chief executives. (AA)