Presidium elected, agenda set for China's annual legislative session

BEIJING -- Deputies to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) Thursday elected the presidium and set the agenda for the annual session of the national legislature.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the preparatory meeting for the third session of the 13th NPC.

All the preparations for the annual session are completed, Li said, adding that the session is expected to gather strength for achieving the goals and tasks in winning the fight against poverty and for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

A 174-member presidium was elected, with Wang Chen as the secretary-general of the NPC session.

The meeting also adopted the agenda of the session:

-- Deliberate the report on the work of the government;

-- Review the report on the implementation of the 2019 plan and on the 2020 draft plan for national economic and social development, and the draft plan for national economic and social development in 2020;

-- Review the report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2019 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2020, and the draft central and local budgets for 2020;

-- Deliberate the bill put forward by the NPC Standing Committee on reviewing the draft civil code;

-- Deliberate the bill put forward by the NPC Standing Committee on reviewing a draft decision of the NPC on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security;

-- Deliberate the work report of the NPC Standing Committee;

-- Deliberate the work report of the Supreme People's Court;

-- Deliberate the work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate;

-- Others.

At the start of the preparatory meeting, deputies mourned deceased national lawmaker Wan Weixing.

The presidium of the session met shortly after the preparatory meeting closed. Attendees to the presidium meeting decided on the schedule of the NPC session, among other matters. The NPC will be in session for seven days this year from May 22 to 28.

Prior to the preparatory meeting, the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee met for the meeting's preparation.