Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

People's Republic of China

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the People's Republic of China

Ideology Generations of Chinese leadership Guiding Political Ideologies Mao Zedong: Mao Zedong Thought Deng Xiaoping: Deng Xiaoping Theory Jiang Zemin: Three Represents Hu Jintao: Scientific Development Concept Constitution Leadership of China Constitutional history 1954 1975 1978 1982 (present) Communist Party National Congress Central Committee General Secretary: Hu Jintao (Leader) Central Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Central Secretariat First secretary: Xi Jinping CPC Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary: He Guoqiang Government National People's Congress NPC Standing Committee NPCSC Chairman: Wu Bangguo President: Hu Jintao Vice President: Xi Jinping State Council (Central People's Government) Premier: Wen Jiabao Vice Premiers 1st ranking: Li Keqiang State Councilors PRC Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao Supreme People's Court President: Wang Shengjun Supreme People's Procuratorate Procurator-General: Cao Jianming United Front Political Consultative Conference National Committee Chairman: Jia Qinglin Minor political parties Military Central Military Commission Chairman: Hu Jintao People's Liberation Army People's Armed Police Force State Council National Defense Mobilization Commission Chairman: Wen Jiabao Ministry of National Defense Minister: Liang Guanglie Law Legislative system List of statutes Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee Secretary: Zhou Yongkang Judicial system Court system Other issues Elections (2003 · 2008) Administrative divisions Human rights Foreign relations (United Nations) Foreign aid

Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view · talk · edit

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC; simplified Chinese: 全国人民代表大会常务委员会; traditional Chinese: 全國人民代表大會常務委員會; pinyin: Quánguó Rénmín Dàibiǎo Dàhuì Chángwù Wěiyuánhuì) is a committee of about 150 members of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by the NPC, and thus acts as a de facto legislative body. It is led by a Chairman, China's top legislator, who is conventionally ranked third in China's political ranking system, after the General Secretary and President, which is usually one person. The current Chairman is Wu Bangguo.

The NPCSC also has the power to interpret the laws of the PRC, including its constitution. In contrast to other countries in which stare decisis gives the power of both final interpretation and adjudication to a supreme court, within the People's Republic of China constitutional and legal interpretation is considered to be a legislative activity rather than a judicial one, and the functions are split so that the NPCSC provides legal interpretations while the Supreme People's Court and the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region actually decide cases. Because an interpretation of the NPCSC is legislative in nature and not judicial, it does not affect cases which have already been decided.

A notable use of the latter power occurred in 1999 during the dispute of the Right of Abode issue in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In the case, the NPCSC interpreted the Basic Law of Hong Kong in accordance with the position taken by the Hong Kong government with respect to the eligibility of permanent residency in Hong Kong.

Leading members

• Chairman (Speaker):
  • Wu Bangguo

• Vice Chairpersons:
  • Wang Zhaoguo
  • Lu Yongxiang
  • Uyunqimg
  • Han Qide
  • Hua Jianmin
  • Chen Zhili
  • Zhou Tienong
  • Li Jianguo
  • Ismail Tiliwaldi
  • Jiang Shusheng
  • Chen Changzhi
  • Yan Junqi
  • Sang Guowei

Chairmen of the Standing Committee

Main article: Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

The Chairman of the NPC is the presiding officer of the legislative body, a position that is similar but not entirely analogous to that of a speaker of congress.

See also

• Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, a Soviet Union institution, after which Standing Committee of the NPC was modelled.