China’s Parliament concludes annual session, approves several new laws
China’s Parliament on Thursday ended its much-publicised annual session, approving a host of laws, including the new five-year plan to halt the slowdown of the country’s economy, an enhanced defence budget and the controversial ethnic law-making Mandarin compulsory for all ethnic minorities.
The National People’s Congress (NPC), often termed the rubber-stamp Parliament for its routine endorsement of laws approved by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), ended its annual session in less than two weeks. The NPC, along with the top advisory body - the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - together with over 5,000 deputies, began their annual sessions in the first week of March.
The two sessions evoked international attention as they were held in the midst of turmoil over the US-Iran war and massive military purges carried out by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi, 72, attended the session of both Houses.
Earlier, in his speech to over 240 deputies attending the two sessions, Xi, who also heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA and the CPC, made an open call to military officials to increase political loyalty, meaning following the Party’s leadership. This is Xi’s first meeting after the removal of two senior military officials, including the highest-ranking PLA General Zhang Youxia, in January, which was regarded as a major purge of the PLA in recent history, sending shock waves among the ranks.
