Introduction to an Article on Improving High-Quality Development of the Work of People's Congresses

An article by the CPC Leadership Group for the Working Bodies of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) was published in this year's fourth issue of Qiushi Journal. It stresses the imperative to arm ourselves with the Party's new theories to ensure high-quality development of the work of people's congresses.

The article points out that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core, has promoted theoretical and practical innovation of the people's congress system from the strategic perspective of adhering to and improving the Party's leadership and consolidating the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Thus, Xi Jinping thought on adhering to and improving the system of people's congresses has taken shape, charting the course for and providing guidance to upholding, improving, and implementing the people's congress system, and strengthening and improving the work of people's congresses.

The CPC's leadership is the defining feature and greatest advantage of the people's congress system. Through hard struggles and arduous trials, the people's congress system was established, consolidated and improved under the CPC's leadership. After nearly 70 years of efforts, this system has become more mature and well-defined and increasingly proved its effectiveness and offered notable advantages, all of which are owed to the CPC's leadership. Therefore, in implementing the paramount principle of upholding the Party's leadership, we must take a clear-cut and firm stance and never afford to be ambivalent or hesitant.

As a major achievement of "Two Integrations," the people's congress system has not only adhered to and embodied the basic principles of Marxist thought on people's democracy and Marxist State Theory, but carried forward and developed the best of traditional Chinese culture, especially that of political culture.

In other words, this system boasts advanced political ideas, distinctive Chinese characteristics, and profound cultural heritage.

History has proven that the people's congress system, the fundamental political system of our country, was not conceived out of thin air or copied from foreign countries. Instead, it was the result of the CPC's efforts to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities, as well as the Chinese people's long-term struggle and unremitting exploration under the Party's leadership.

The institutional design of the people's congress system reflects the constitutional principle that all power of the state belongs to the people. The institutions through which the people exercise state power are people's congresses at all levels, and the power of state bodies comes from the people and should be used to serve the people. The functioning of the people's congress system involves people's participation in democratic elections, democratic consultations, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision. It also ensures people's rights to be informed, participate, have a voice, and exercise oversight in all aspects and stages of the work of people's congresses. It is fair to say that the system serves as an important practical platform for people's whole-process democracy.

In the stage of history which is crucial for getting our efforts to build a modern socialist country off to a good start, the NPC and its Standing Committee have correctly identified their mission and tasks in promoting Chinese modernization and advancing high-quality development of our country.

Acting on the general principle of pursuing progress while maintaining stability, they have upheld fundamental principles while breaking new ground and played an important role in the cause of our Party and country.

The article stresses that the people's congress system should be adhered to, improved and implemented in a consistent manner. And the work of people's congresses should be enhanced and improved in the new era, so as to make new contributions to building a great country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation along the Chinese path to modernization.

Editor: Yi Xiaowei