The curtains fell on the fourth session of the 14th NPC in Beijing’s iconic Great Hall of the People on March 12 afternoon, with President Xi Jinping and senior leaders in attendance. This annual powerhouse event solidified China’s policy directions for the coming years.
Among the session’s triumphs: endorsement of the government work report, 15th Five-Year Plan outline, and NPC Standing Committee report. Lawmakers adopted transformative legislation like the Ecological and Environmental Code, Ethnic Unity Promotion Law, and National Development Planning Law. Xi’s signatures on Orders 70-73 brought these into force.
Votes favored proposals covering budget executions for 2025 and drafts for 2026, alongside reports from top courts and procuratorates, and Standing Committee legal affairs. Implementation timelines include August 15, 2026, for environmental code; July 1, 2026, for ethnic unity; and immediate for planning law.
In his address, Standing Committee head Zhao Leji reaffirmed loyalty to Party leadership, people’s mastery over state affairs, and law-based governance. He advocated refining the NPC framework, harnessing political system merits, and legally securing Five-Year Plan targets. Deputies must represent constituents faithfully, uphold duties, bond with masses, and perform on their posts.
Declaring all items accomplished, Zhao closed the session, reflecting China’s proactive stance on ecology, unity, planning, and democracy, poised to drive high-quality development.