The National People's Congress (NPC) is the organ of supreme power in the People's Republic of China . Its permanent organ in office is the Standing Committee. Both the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee are elected for a term of five years. They exercise the power of legislation, decision, supervision, election, appointment and dismissal.

The Organizational Structure of the National People's Congress (NPC):

1. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) : the permanent organization of the highest organ of state power consisting of the chairman, vice chairmen, secretary-general and members who shall not assume any posts in the state administrative organ, judicial or prosecuting organs. The term of office is also five years. The chairman and vice chairmen shall not serve more than two consecutive terms. Normally the Standing Committee is convened once every two months.

2. The Meeting of the Chairmen of the Standing Committee: Participated by the chairman, vice chairmen and secretary-general to deal with major routine work of the Standing Committee.

3. Special committees: permanent committees of the National People's Congress (NPC) , they are composed of the chairman, vice chairmen and members. Under the leadership of the NPC, special committees are guided by the Standing Committee of the NPC when the latter is not in plenary session. The special committees study, review and draft motions and bills.

4. Deputy Credential Examination Committee: permanent organ of the NPC Standing Committee for examining the credentials of NPC deputies. The specific job of the committee is to examine the credentials of deputies emerged from by-elections of the present session and the newly elected deputies for the coming session. The committee is composed of the chairman, vice chairmen and members, all nominated from among the members of the Standing Committee and by the Meeting of the Chairman of the Standing Committee, to be agreed upon by the plenary session of the Standing Committee for a term of five years.

5. The General Affairs Office, Legislative Work Committee and Budget Committee: permanent organs of the NPC Standing Committee for serving the plenary session of the NPC, meetings of the Standing Committee and sessions of the Meeting of the Chairmen of the Standing Committee; for serving the deputies of the NPC and members of the Standing Committee in their execution of functions and powers according to law and for serving the development of socialist democracy and improvement of the socialist legal system.

Major Functions and Power of the National People's Congress (NPC) :

The Constitution empowers the National People's Congress (NPC) with the total and highest position and the following major functions and power:

1. To formulate and revise the Constitution and supervise its implementation; to enact and revise basic laws and other laws of the state. The amendment of the Constitution shall be proposed by the Standing Committee of the NPC or one-fifth of the deputies to the NPC and can only be adopted by a majority of no less than two-thirds of the deputies to the NPC. Laws and other bills shall be adopted by the NPC with a majority of the deputies to the NPC. The Constitution also stipulates that the NPC has the power to alter or annul inappropriate decision adopted by the Standing Committee of the NPC.

2. To elect members of the Standing Committee of the NPC; to elect the president and vice president of the People's Republic of China, and to decide on the choice of the premier of the State Council upon nomination by the president, the choice of other members composing the State Council upon the nomination by the premier; to elect the chairman of the Central Military Commission, and to decide on the choice of other members composing the Central Military Commission upon nomination by the chairman of the Commission; to elect the president of the Supreme People's Court; and to elect the procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. The NPC has the power to remove all the above-mentioned functionaries.

3. To examine and approve the plan for national economic and social development; to examine and approve the state budget and the report on its implementation; to approve the establishment of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government; to decide on the establishment of special administrative regions and the systems to be instituted in the regions; and to decide on questions of war and peace.