National congress confirms posts for generals
THE National People's Congress (NPC) closed the 17th session of its Standing Committee yesterday and announced that it would hold its annual session in early March.
The Fourth Session of the Eighth NPC will begin in Beijing on March 5, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) said.
NPC Chairman Qiao Shi presided over the meeting.
The Standing Committee also confirmed the appointment of Generals Zhang Wannian and Chi Haotian as the vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission. Two other generals, Wang Ke and Wang Ruilin, were approved as members.
The appointments were approved by the Communist Party when it held its party plenum last October. The confirmation by the Standing Committee yesterday was a formality.
Xinhua said March's session would discuss the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the 15-year economic blueprint.
Both were also approved by the Communist Party at the October party plenum.
The China News Service said legislators would be asked to approve two laws in March - the amended Criminal Procedure Law and the new Administrative Penalty Law. Other issues to be discussed included the Government's budget and the various annual reports by the legislature, judiciary and procurate.
The report did not mention the amended Bankruptcy Law, once tipped to be ready for approval.
Yesterday, the Standing Committee passed the Power Industry Law which stipulated that the state will 'encourage and guide' domestic and foreign investors.
The law will come into effect next April.
