special committees closely tied all their efforts to the core tasks of the NPC and its Standing Committee, took full advantage of their personnel, improved their work system, standardized their style of work and strengthened their coordination, playing an important role in raising the quality and level of the performance of the NPC and its Standing Committee.

The organs of the NPC carried out an extensive education campaign to preserve the advanced nature of Party members in accordance with the requirement for their employees to be politically reliable, professionally competent, pragmatic and highly productive, observe proper conduct in their work style, have team spirit, cooperate well with others, and be clean and honest. They diligently adhered to the Civil Servant Law and stepped up efforts to improve themselves politically, organizationally, institutionally, ideologically and professionally and to improve their work style. As a result, these organs strengthened their role as collective adviser, assistant and service provider for deputies.

The achievements of the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC were made under the correct leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary and are the result of the hard work of the deputies, the members of the Standing Committee and the special committees and the employees of the organs of the NPC. Credit is also due to the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate for their assistance and to the local people's congresses and their standing committees and the masses for their support. On behalf of the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC, I would now like to express my sincerest thanks to the NPC deputies, the State Council, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the deputies to the local people's congresses!

At the same time, we are fully aware that although a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics has basically taken shape, there is still a pressing need for laws covering certain practical aspects of life that have yet to be formulated, that provisions of some current laws that do not meet the needs of economic and social development sorely need to be revised and improved, and that some regulations to support laws need to be formulated or improved as soon as possible. Moreover, studies on the feasibility of some legislative items have not been thorough enough, balance and coordination in legislative work need to be improved and more needs to be done to educate the public about the law. Although the effectiveness of oversight has been markedly improved, there is still not enough attention being paid to key areas and some special work reports are nothing more than "going through the motions." Though the handling of deputy proposals and suggestions has improved somewhat, it still falls short of the expectations and demands of deputies. We must pay close attention to these problems and adopt effective measures in our work to address them.

Fellow deputies,

The system of people's congresses already has a brilliant history of more than half a century, and it has displayed huge advantages and strong vitality. Looking back on the great achievements that have been made in improving the system of people's congresses over the past 50 years and more, especially the past 30 years since the introduction of the policy of reform and opening up, and reviewing the recent experience of the 10th NPC and its Standing Committee, we are keenly aware that in order to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses and effectively carry out the work of the NPC in the new situation, we must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly keep to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, steadfastly follow the guidance of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and organically combine the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as masters of the country and the rule of law.

First, we must keep to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics. A country must first of all take into consideration its own situation and actual conditions when deciding what kind of path of political development it will follow. The socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics is a correct path formed by the CPC in leading the people of all the ethnic groups in China during a long period of arduous struggle. In terms of the system of political power, keeping to this path means practicing the system of people's congresses. In terms of the system of political parties, it means practicing the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC. In terms of areas with concentrations of ethnic minorities, it means practicing a system of regional ethnic autonomy. Finally, it means practicing autonomy at the community level in urban areas and village level in rural areas. This path has both scientific guidelines and a well-organized framework of institutions, as well as clearly oriented values, effective forms and a reliable driving force. It embodies the features and advantages of socialist democratic politics with Chinese characteristics. Time has amply shown that this is a path of political development that suits the conditions in China and that it is conducive to unleashing and developing the productive forces, enhancing overall national strength and improving living standards. It is also conducive to safeguarding national unity, increasing solidarity among ethnic groups and promoting social harmony, as well as to ensuring that the CPC can lead the people in effectively governing the country and achieving lasting peace and stability of the nation. The system of people's congresses, the fundamental political system of the country, is an important component of the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics. In keeping to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics, it is important to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses. China's political system is neither a system of checks and balances among three branches nor a bicameral system. The NPC exercises state power in a unified way, and the administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the state are all created by the NPC, are responsible to it and are overseen by it. Although the various state organs have different responsibilities, their goals are all exactly the same. They all carry out their work in a coordinated manner under the leadership of the CPC. In order to keep to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics and adhere to and improve the system of people's congresses, we must correctly balance the relationship between the NPC on the one hand and the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on the other. The NPC should fully fulfill its responsibilities in collectively exercising state power, but it cannot take over the exercise of administrative, judicial or procuratorial power. The NPC decides on major principles and policies of the country by formulating laws and making resolutions in accordance with the stands of the Party and the will of the people. It also oversees and supports the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate in carrying out their administrative functions in accordance with the law and ensures that they are fair in exercising their judicial functions, and that state organs carry out their work in a coordinated and effective manner. The NPC must truly use the power granted to it by the people to further their interests, giving full play to the advantages of the system of people's congresses. The most fundamental aspect of keeping to the socialist political development path with Chinese characteristics and upholding and improving the system of people's congresses is organically integrating the leadership of the Party, the position of the people as the masters of the country and the rule of law, and the key is upholding the leadership of the Party. The leadership of the Party is a fundamental guarantee both for retaining the position of the people as masters of the country and ensuring that the country is run by the rule of law and for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and effectively carrying out the work of the NPC in the new situation. We must conscientiously uphold the leadership of the Party to ensure that the stands of the Party become the will of the state through legally stipulated procedures and that the personnel recommended by Party organizations become the leaders of the organs of state power through legally stipulated procedures. The work of the NPC, including legislative work, oversight work and deciding on major issues, must all be conducive to improving the leadership of the Party, consolidating its position as the ruling party and ensuring that it is able to lead the people in effectively running the country.

Second, we must always take the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the starting point. The position of the people as masters of the country is the essence and core of socialist democratic politics. The system of people's congresses is the fundamental way and highest format for the people of all the country's ethnic groups to act as masters of the country. The greatest advantage of the NPC is that it maintains close contact with the masses. As long as the NPC maintains flesh and blood contact with the masses, constantly works to better represent their will and conscientiously accepts their oversight, its work will remain full of vitality. We must always put people first, make the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of them the starting point and ultimate objective of all the work of the NPC, respect their principal position in the country's political life, make good use of their creative spirit and guarantee all their rights and interests. We must ensure that all the power of the state belongs to the people, improve democratic institutions, diversify the forms of democracy and expand its channels. We need to expand the orderly participation of ordinary citizens in political affairs at each level and in every field and protect their right to participate in democratic elections, decision-making, administration and oversight in accordance with the law. We must continue to adhere to the mass line and give more play to the advantages and role of the NPC in understanding and reflecting public sentiment, pooling the wisdom of the people and respecting their resources. We must correctly reflect and balance the interests of different groups in society, diligently urge the concerned parties to promptly solve the most practical problems of the utmost and immediate concern to the people, ensure their well being, improve their lives, mobilize their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity to the greatest extent possible, and fulfill, safeguard and develop the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.

Third, we must always center our work around the work of the Party and the state. The work of the NPC is an important component of the work of the Party and the state, touches on many areas of socialist economic, political, cultural and social development, and has a bearing on efforts to realize comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development of all the undertakings of the country. The work of the NPC is playing a more and more important role in the political life of the country as the system of people's congresses is improved. A key condition for improving the effectiveness of the work of the NPC and raising it to a new level is to ensure that it is subservient to and serves the core tasks of the Party and the state and that it steadfastly promotes development, which is the top priority in the Party's governance of and efforts to rejuvenate the country. In addition, the NPC must constantly strive to improve its work by closely linking it to efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, address the major issues affecting reform, development and stability and resolve difficult hotspot issues of common concern to the people. The Scientific Outlook on Development is a concentrated expression of the Marxist worldview and methodology on development. It is a scientific theory that is in the same vein as Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents and that is in step with the times. It is an important guiding principle for China's economic and social development and a major strategic approach that we must follow and apply in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. The NPC should diligently study and fully put into practice the Scientific Outlook on Development, thoroughly arrange and plan all legislative, oversight and other work, persevere in reform and opening up, keep up with the times, pool its resources, and concentrate on key areas, first of all taking into consideration its assigned functions and characteristics in order to open up new horizons in its work directly tied to the overall work of the Party and state. The NPC should ensure that the major policies and principles of the Party and the state as well as the Constitution and laws are correctly implemented and that reform, opening up and socialist modernization proceed smoothly.

Fourth, we must always handle affairs in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures. Democratic centralism is the organizational principle for the system of people's congresses as well as a principle by which the NPC and its Standing Committee must abide when exercising their functions and powers in accordance with the law. The way the NPC carries out its work is very different from that of other state organs. The NPC and its Standing Committee mainly do their work through meetings, in compliance with the principle of democratic centralism and following legally stipulated procedures, and exercise their functions and powers and decide on issues collectively. In carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law, regardless of whether they are exercising legislative power, power of oversight, power to make decisions on major issues or power to appoint and dismiss personnel, they must always fully uphold democracy and handle matters strictly in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures. The opinions of all the deputies and members of the Standing Committee must be heard, even the opposing opinions, and their democratic rights to fully express their opinions must be guaranteed. Matters should be fully deliberated to get a full range of ideas and opinions so that voting is based on a basic consensus, and decisions should be made on the basis of majority opinion with one vote per person so that the laws formulated and decisions made by the NPC fully reflect the common will of the people and are authoritative.

Fellow deputies,

At the 17th CPC National Congress convened in October of last year, some major questions were answered concerning the Party in this crucial stage of reform and opening up, such as what banner we should hold up, what path we should take, what our attitude should be and what our development goals should be as we continue to make our way forward. In addition, the content, essence and fundamental requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development were elucidated and the grand blueprint for accelerating socialist modernization in the new era was formulated. Finally, the direction we must take in continuing to promote the development of the causes of the Party and the state was clearly pointed out and new and higher requirements for upholding and improving the system of people's congresses and successfully carrying out the work of the NPC under the new conditions were introduced.

The year 2008 is the first year for fully implementing the strategic arrangements made at the 17th CPC National Congress as well as the first year for the 11th NPC and its Standing Committee to carry out their duties in accordance with the law. We will be marking the 30th anniversary of the reform and opening up policy and we will be hosting the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics as well. It is extremely important for us to do our work well this year. The Standing Committee must place thorough study and comprehensive implementation of the guiding principles set out at the 17th CPC National Congress at the top of its agenda and become more conscientious and determined in holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, keeping to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, upholding the system of socialist theory with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly applying the Scientific Outlook on Development, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and promoting balanced socialist economic, political, cultural and social development. We must uphold and improve the system of people's congresses, and constantly work to bring the work of the NPC up to a new level.

1. We need to waste no time in formulating laws that have an important role in the legal system and promptly revise laws and regulations that are not suitable for the current stage of economic and social development, first of all taking into consideration the basic situation in the country, putting people first and seeking truth from facts, with the goal of improving the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics. We must urge the relevant authorities to formulate or revise supporting regulations for laws to ensure completion of the formation of the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics by 2010. We must pass more social legislation, focusing on improving people's well being, continue to improve legislation related to economic, political and cultural affairs, work vigorously to make legislation more scientific and democratic, constantly improve the quality of legislation and give even more play to the standardizing, guiding and ensuring role of the law in the country's political and social life.

First, we must waste no time in working out a five-year legislation plan, convene conferences on legislative work as needed and make all necessary arrangements for legislative work. Second, we plan to deliberate about 20 draft laws this year, formulate the Law on State-Owned Assets, the Social Security Law, the Food Safety Law, the Circular Economy Law and the Law on Arbitration of Disputes Concerning Contracted Rural Land and revise the Electoral Law, the Organic Law of the NPC, and the Law on State Compensation. Third, we must strengthen coordination and cooperation in legislative work, urge departments drafting laws to carry out careful research to solve major problems related to legislation and ensure that draft bills that are included in annual legislative plans are submitted for deliberation on schedule while still ensuring the quality of draft legislation. Fourth, we must further expand the orderly participation of ordinary citizens in legislative work. For laws such as the Food Safety Law that are closely tied to the interests of the people, the draft laws should be publicly posted so that the opinions of all sides can be heard, particularly those of ordinary people. For laws such as the Social Security Law that involve complicated legal and technical issues, a wide range of opinions should be solicited and the issues involved carefully studied and discussed through debates and other means.

2. First of all taking into consideration the work of the Party and the state, we must put improvement of the effectiveness of oversight at the center of all our efforts related to oversight. We must always handle matters in accordance with the law and stipulated procedures, collectively exercise our functions and powers, fully implement the Law on Oversight, step up efforts to implement the Constitution and laws, and put the focus of oversight on serious problems that affect overall reform, development and stability, that have an impact on social harmony and that cause great resentment among the masses. We must use a combination of legally defined oversight means, strengthen thorough oversight and work hard for substantive results. Striving to promote improvement in the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, we need to set up a sound permanent mechanism for solving problems. We must ensure that wherever there is a law it must be obeyed and enforced strictly and that persons who violate laws are prosecuted, safeguard social fairness and justice and the unity, sanctity and authority of the socialist legal system, and give more play to the oversight role of the NPC in promoting law-based government administration, ensuring fairness in the judicial system and protecting the interests of the people.

First, we must promote both sound and rapid development of the national economy by listening to and deliberating the State Council's report on the intermediate assessment of the implementation of the Outline of the 11th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, work reports on plan implementation, the final accounts of the Central Government and auditing and other special work reports and urging relevant departments to implement the guidelines set out at the Central Economic Work Conference. Second, we need to promote the building of a new socialist countryside by listening to and deliberating the State Council's report on promoting steady increase in rural incomes and by inspecting the implementation of the Law on Specialized Farmer Cooperatives. Third, we need to promote efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions by listening to and deliberating the special work reports of the State Council on progress in efforts to prevent and control water pollution and by inspecting the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law. Fourth, we need to truly protect the lawful rights and interests of workers and ensure the healthy growth of children by inspecting the implementation of the Law on Labor Contracts, the Compulsory Education Law and the Law on the Protection of Minors. Fifth, we must promote fairness in the judicial system and safeguard social stability by listening to and deliberating the special work reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on criminal prosecution and oversight for laws on criminal prosecution.

3. We need to respect the principal position of NPC deputies, maintain an attitude of service to them, further improve the work system, intensify efforts and create the conditions necessary for them to exercise their functions and powers in accordance with the law, maintain even closer contact with the people and expand their participation in the activities of the Standing Committee, centering efforts on full implementation of Document No.9 of the CPC Central Committee and starting with efforts to uphold and improve the system of people's congresses in order to constantly raise the level of the work related to deputies and strengthen their role in participating in the administration of state affairs.

First, we must carefully handle the proposals and suggestions that deputies submitted during the First Session of the 11th NPC. We need to be more effective in taking into consideration deputy proposals in legislative work and be more effective in using deputy proposals to improve the work of the NPC and truly improve the handling of deputy proposals. Second, we will continue to organize special topic surveys and collective inspection tours for deputies, improve activities for deputy teams and enhance the effectiveness of activities. Third, we will continue to invite deputies to attend meetings of the Standing Committee, increase the number of deputies invited to participate in law enforcement inspections by an appropriate amount and further expand deputy participation in the activities of special committees. Fourth, within the year we plan to organize various forms of training for new deputies on how to carry out their duties to strengthen their ability to carry out their duties in accordance with the law and further improve the work of deputy contact offices.

4. We need to focus on consolidating and improving the mechanisms for regular exchange, first of all taking into consideration the characteristics and advantages of the foreign contact work of the NPC. We must continue to maintain the safeguarding of world peace and promotion of development for all as the objective of our foreign policy and be subservient to and serve the country's overall diplomatic work. We need to maintain continuity and stability in our foreign contact work, extensively engage in friendly contact with the congresses and parliaments of other countries, actively participate in the activities of international and regional parliamentary organizations, increase exchange activities to share governance experience, promote practical cooperation in all areas and make better use of the unique role of the NPC's foreign contact work.

5. The Standing Committee will continue to intensify its self-improvement efforts. We need to improve the work system, carry out surveys and investigations, maintain close ties with the people, conscientiously accept oversight, give full play to the role of the special committees and continuously work to improve the quality of deliberation and the level of our work. We need to continue improving efforts to teach the public about the legal system and vigorously promote implementation of the fifth five-year plan to increase public awareness of the law. Focusing on laws that affect the immediate interests of the people, we need to increase knowledge of the law in society, explain the reasons for passing laws, use the law to solve practical problems and effectively enhance respect for the law and increase awareness of the legal system throughout society. We must continue to improve contacts with local people's congresses and work with them to promote development of socialist democracy and the socialist legal system. Focusing on improving their competence, organs of the NPC should work harder on all aspects of improvement to strengthen their role as collective adviser, assistant and service provider.

Fellow deputies,

Let us rally closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, take Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as our guide, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, break new ground for the future, strive for greater progress, and work diligently to win new victories in the effort to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and open up new prospects for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics!