NPC and CPPCC To Address Anti-Secession Law, Military Commission Appointments, Next Five-Year Plan

March 2, 2005

Three main topics will be the likely focus of attention during the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), according to this article in the the Chinese language press.

  • Delegates will deliberate on a draft of an "Anti-Secession Law (ASL)," "反分裂国家法". The article notes that the proposed law’s title has evolved since it was first raised publicly during Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao's 2004 foreign visits. The current name reflects a term for a common crime in socialist legal systems, usually translated as "Anti-Splittism." See Criminal Law (English) and Criminal Law (Chinese), Section 103.
  • Delegates also will need to approve leadership changes at the Central Military Commission, since former President and CMC Chairman Jiang Zemin's resignation in late 2004 opened vacancies on the Commission.
  • Delegates will also discuss and approve the 11th "Five-Year Plan," set to begin in 2006. The plan will likely be based on the slogans "take the human as the root concern" and "scientific development," as well as last year's focus on agricultural problems and promoting a stable society.

As the NPC and CPPCC progresses, readers may find information in Chinese here, and in English here.