Two sessions set for early March

The 13th National People's Congress will hold its first plenary session in Beijing on March 5 to discuss revising the Constitution and elect new State leaders, the 12th NPC Standing Committee decided on Tuesday.

The decision was adopted by a vote at an NPC Standing Committee session held on Monday and Tuesday.

The agenda of the session includes reviewing the Government Work Report, examining reports on the implementation of the annual plan on national economic and social development in 2017 and the draft plan on national economic and social development in 2018, and examining reports on the implementation of the central and local budgets in 2017 and the central and local draft budgets for 2018.

NPC deputies will deliberate on a draft revision to the Constitution, a draft law on supervision and the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, it was decided.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, called for careful preparation for the coming plenary session, a close examination of newly elected NPC deputies' qualifications and a smooth handover from the 12th NPC and its Standing Committee to the 13th NPC and its Standing Committee.

The NPC is the highest institution through which the Chinese people exercise their State power. Elected for a term of five years, it normally meets at an annual session and is convened by its Standing Committee.

The country's top political advisory body will start its annual plenary session on March 3, the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee said in a decision also released on Tuesday.

The plenary session of the political advisory body will review a draft amendment to the CPPCC's charter, the decision said, without giving details.