China's top legislature wraps up annual session

The closing meeting of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2021. Leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attended the meeting, and Li Zhanshu presided over the closing meeting and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its annual session Thursday afternoon.

Chinese leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan attended the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 13th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li Zhanshu, an executive chairperson of the presidium of the session, presided over the meeting attended by nearly 3,000 NPC deputies.

Lawmakers adopted the amendments to the organic law and procedural rules of the NPC. President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the amendments.

The meeting adopted a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The lawmakers also approved the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, the government work report, and the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

They approved a report on the implementation of the 2020 plan for national economic and social development, and the 2021 plan for national economic and social development.

They also passed a report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2020, and approved the central budget for 2021.

Addressing the meeting, Li Zhanshu said that the annual session has successfully completed its agenda.

The decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR has been highly endorsed by the deputies, Li said.

Li called for better leveraging the role of people's congresses on the journey toward fully building a modern socialist China.

Li urged rallying even closer around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, as the CPC will celebrate its centenary this year. He also called for advancing toward realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Before the closing meeting, Li presided over the meetings of the session's presidium and the presidium's executive chairpersons.