National People's Congress - National People's Congress

The legislative body of the People's Republic of China, equivalent to a unicameral national parliament. It is abbreviated as the NPC. It is the "highest organ of state power" (Article 57 of the Constitution), and is composed of representatives indirectly elected by the local people's congresses of first-level administrative regions (provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions), as well as representatives elected by the People's Liberation Army and overseas Chinese (since the second term in 1959, the total number of representatives has reached about 3,000). Representatives serve a five-year term and meet once a year to report on government activities, amend the constitution, enact laws, elect the president and the premier of the State Council, review the national budget and financial statements, and review economic plans such as the five-year plan. The first session of the first term was held in September 1954, and the Constitution of the People's Republic of China was enacted, but during the Cultural Revolution from 1965 to 1975, it was not held even once, and there were times when such a minimum guarantee of political democracy did not exist. However, the role of the National People's Congress has become increasingly important in recent times, and at the 3rd session of the 6th National People's Congress in March-April 1985, the draft Seventh Five-Year Plan was discussed, which was formally adopted at the 4th session in April 1986. Then, at the 1st session of the 8th National People's Congress in the spring of 1993, the constitution was significantly revised in line with the immediate "reform and opening up" policy, with the previous terms "state-run enterprises" being renamed "state-owned enterprises," and the policy of a "socialist market economy" was adopted. At the 5th session of the 8th National People's Congress in 1997, Premier Li Peng paid tribute to Deng Xiaoping, who had died in February, and vowed to continue Deng's policy. At the 1st meeting of the 9th NPC in 1998, Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and other cabinet members were selected, and the "Jiang-Zhu regime" was established with President Jiang Zemin. Li Peng became Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC. At the 3rd meeting in 2000, the "Great Western Development" was proposed, and at the 4th meeting in 2001, the report on the "10th Five-Year Plan" (2001-2005) was presented, and the strengthening of economic competitiveness was called for in anticipation of China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (approved in November 2001). At the 5th meeting in 2002, the government announced that the economy would be further opened up and that measures for domestic industry would be promoted in response to WTO accession. In 2003, the 1st meeting of the 10th NPC was held, and the personnel system was completely renewed. Wen Jiabao was elected as the new Prime Minister, and Hu Jintao as President. Jiang Zemin was elected Chairman of the Central Military Commission, retaining his influence over the new administration. Wu Bangguo (1941- ) was elected Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, replacing Li Peng. Jiang Zemin resigned as Chairman of the Party's Central Military Commission in 2004, and the following year in 2005 he resigned as Chairman of the State Central Military Commission, to be succeeded in both positions by Hu Jintao, who took control of the triple powers of the party, state, and military.

Permanent bodies include the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, as well as specialized committees such as the Ethnic Committee and the Legal Committee.

[Mineo Nakajima]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中華人民共和国の立法機関で、一院制の国会に相当する。全人代と略称される。「最高の国家権力機関」（憲法第57条）であり、一級行政区（省、直轄市、自治区）の地方人民代表大会によって間接選挙で選ばれる代表と、人民解放軍および在外中国人の選出代表によって構成される（1959年の第2期以降代表総数は約3000名）。代表の任期は5年で毎年1回開催され、政府活動報告が行われるほか、憲法改正、法律の制定、国家主席、国務院総理（首相）の選出、国家予算・決算の審議、五か年計画などの経済計画の審議などが行われる。1954年9月に第1期第1回会議を開催して中華人民共和国憲法を制定したが、文化大革命期の1965～1975年は一度も開かれず、こうした政治的民主主義の最低限の保障が存在しなかったこともある。しかし、最近は全国人民代表大会の役割がますます重要になってきており、1985年3～4月の第6期第3回会議では第七次五か年計画案が審議され、1986年4月の同第4回会議ではそれが正式に採択された。ついで1993年春の第8期第1回会議では、従来の「国営企業」を「国有企業」とよびかえるなど当面の「改革・開放」路線に沿って憲法が大幅に修正され、「社会主義市場経済」の方針が採用された。1997年第8期第5回会議は、首相の李鵬(りほう／リーポン)が、2月に死去した鄧小平(とうしょうへい／トンシヤオピン)をたたえるとともに、鄧路線の継承を誓った。1998年第9期第1回会議は、首相・朱鎔基(しゅようき／チューロンチー)をはじめとする閣僚を選出、国家主席・江沢民(こうたくみん／チアンツォーミン)との「江・朱体制」という指導部を発足させた。李鵬は、全人代常務委員会委員長になった。2000年同3回会議は「西部大開発」を提示、2001年同第4回会議は、「第十次五か年計画」（2001～2005）の報告や世界貿易機関（WTO）加盟（2001年11月加盟承認）後をにらんで経済競争力強化を訴えた。2002年同第5回会議は、WTO加盟後の対応として経済をさらに開放し、国内産業対策を進めるとした。2003年には、第10期第1回会議が開催され、人事体制が一新された。新首相に、温家宝(おんかほう／ウエンチアパオ)、国家主席に胡錦濤(こきんとう／フーチンタオ)が、それぞれ選出された。江沢民は、中央軍事委員会主席に選出され、新政権への影響力を残した。全人代常務委員会委員長には、李鵬にかわって呉邦国(ごほうこく／ウーバングオ)（1941―　）が選出された。江沢民は2004年に党の中央軍事委員会主席を辞任、翌2005年に国家中央軍事委員会主席を辞任、後任にはいずれも胡錦濤が就任し、党・国家・軍の三権を掌握した。

　常設機関としては、全国人民代表大会常務委員会があるほか、民族委員会、法律委員会などの専門委員会がある。

［中嶋嶺雄］

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