Live updates of China's annual NPC meeting: behind the scenes and more

2.33pm

Qin Weijiang, lieutenant general of Nanjing Military Region:

The increase in military spending is reasonable. It will boost the Chinese nation’s rise, keep our country safe and protect our nation’s interests.

2.08pm

Li Lihui, president of Bank of China:

The newest measures to curb the housing market have not affected the stocks of banks yet. The real risk in the housing market is the potential bubble created by high prices. If the bubble were to burst, it would have done systematic damages to our economy and the financial industry.

2.04pm

Vicklly Xia, Anhui delegate, director of Zhong Ding Holding: 

The government should provide private businesses similar support it gives to state-owned-enterprises. The market needs competition to move forward. We need more pointers from the government when it comes to doing business with Hong Kong. Hong Kong should also consider working with other cities besides big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Liu Shaoying, Hunan delegate who used to work in the fishing industry:

Fishermen’s lives have improved in the past four years. Their children are going to school now and they’ve received training for jobs.

Sun Xianzhong, Shanghai delegate and lawyer: 

As the ancient Romans used to say: power should be exercised in rightful ways. People with power should not do whatever they want. The Chinese people have been losing their confidence and respect for the law in the past years. Our rule of law should be more just, people-friendly and open.

1.04pm

Huang Xingguo, mayor of Tianjin:

It has been a tough decade for [Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao].

Jia Kang, economist:

The most efficient way to reduce smog is to leverage the market to motivate energy savings. The government should allow the price of coal to rise so factories will have to save energy to stay competitive.

Yang Jinsheng, deputy chairman of the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustionm China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences: 

China’s expenditure on medical treatments will definitely increase since people are living longer lives and prioritising health issues.

Xu Jingjun, vice-president of Nankai University:

The accusation that universities have admitted too many students in the past 10 years is wrong. The real issue is that we’ve spent 4 per cent of GDP on education by 2012, not the year 2000 as initially planned.

Li Zhaoxing, former NPC spokesman: 

My piece of advice for NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying: speak the truth, speak relevantly and speak words that benefit our countrymen.

12.59pm

Hu Yanlin, delegate from the military:

China’s aircraft carrier has good combat power. The navy has always been prioritised in our defence budget. I feel good about its future.

Guangdong delegate Liu Yuelun:

This morning’s government report turned out shorter than I had expected. I thought it was going to be 40 pages but it was only 27 pages.

11.40am

Hong Kong action movie star and CPPCC delegate Jackie Chan made the following comment during the session, according to a Sina Weibo post:

Law enforcement on the mainland is too slack. The directors I worked with didn’t dare to smoke in Singapore for instance, but once they were in Zhuhai, they smoked under the official warning sign.

Chan then smacked the table and said: “So we must have stricter enforcement."

11.30am

Journalists chase down former basketball star Yao Ming, a CPPCC member, in the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday. 

View of the National People's Congress. 

Here's a searchable copy of Wen Jiabao's 2013 gov't work report in English: on.wsj.com/12q1rff More #NPC reports to come.

— WSJ China Real Time (@ChinaRealTime) March 5, 2013

Deputies listened to the cabinet work report Tuesday at China's national legislature. (Photo: Wang Jianhua) twitter.com/XHNews/status/…

— Xinhua News Agency (@XHNews) March 5, 2013

10.41am

Premier Wen Jiabao in a government work report, delivered at the opening of the NPC session:

We will uphold the “one country, two systems”, model for Hong Kong and Macau to ensure their long-term prosperity.

10.27am

Premier Wen Jiabao in a government work report, delivered at the opening of the NPC session:

We will reform the monitoring system for food and drugs to ensure the complete process is checked.

10.25am

Premier Wen Jiabao in a government work report, delivered at the opening of the NPC session:

We will carry on the basic national policy of family planning. We will solve the problems of population quality, quantity, structure and placement through planning, and ensure a long-term healthy development for the population. 

Ministry of Health via Xinhua: Executed prisoner organ harvesting program will end within two years.

— John Kennedy (@28wordslater) March 5, 2013

10.23am

Premier Wen Jiabao in a government work report, delivered at the opening of the NPC session:

Pensions of retired workers in private sectors will increase by 10 per cent in 2013. The subsidy standard for the poor in cities and villages will be raised. More assistance will be given to orphanages and retirement homes.

9.54am

Outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao in a government work report, delivered at the opening of the NPC session:

The goal for 2013: gross domestic product around 7.5 per cent, CPI around 3.5 per cent, nine million more new jobs for cities and towns, unemployment rate for cities and towns lower than 4.6 per cent.

Full story: China eyes economic growth of 7.5pc, says Wen Jiabao

#wen Jiabao talks about 7,5 % growth and aims 9 Million new jobs a year. What a pressure the communist must feel. #China #NPC# Volkskongress

— Johannes Hano (@JohannesHano) March 5, 2013

9.29am

Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics:

This year China will keep the growing momentum from the fourth quarter of last year, but there will be a change in how it handles development.

Mo Yan, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, turned down reporters’ request for an interview when entering the conference hall.

Family Planning Commission to be made part of the Ministry of Health #lianghui

— John Kennedy (@28wordslater) March 5, 2013

9.28am

Renowned Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang, in a Sina Weibo post:

When we shot movies in rural villages, we couldn’t find a single well with unpolluted water. 

9.26am

Zong Qinghou, head of China’s third-largest beverage maker Wahaha Group:

The growth target for this year was set at 7.5 per cent because exports are weak and China is transitioning to boosting growth with domestic spending.

Wen delivering work report twitter.com/TomLasseter/st…

— Tom Lasseter (@TomLasseter) March 5, 2013

9.19am

New Hope Group chairman Liu Yonghao, who heads the huge farming and animal husbandry empire in Sichuan province, said he planned to enter the milk powder business, and was aiming to roll out the New Hope brand milk powder by the end of 2013.

Zhong Faping, chairman of Hunan Corun New Energy and NPC deputy:

The direction for government reforms is for the departments to pass down their power, not re-allocating the power among themselves. Key deparments including CSRC (China Securities Regulatory Commission) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Development and Reform Commission hold too much power and have taken over the role of the market.

Shi Wenbin, NPC deputy from Shanxi province:

A major challenge for the new administration is to assist cities depleted of resources to transition to new ways of development and repair their damaged environment. Shanxi province faces huge problems. For example, Yang Quan city, the world’s largest producer of anthracite – a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has the highest carbon content and fewest impurities, will be running out of resources in 20 or 30 years. Without policy guidance and assistance to develop other industries, the city is doomed.

The military band played the national anthem at the opening of China's national legislature. (Photo: Zheng Wei) twitter.com/XHNews/status/…

— Xinhua News Agency (@XHNews) March 5, 2013

The 12th National People's Congress First Session opened Tuesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. twitter.com/XHNews/status/…

— Xinhua News Agency (@XHNews) March 5, 2013

8.44am

8.29am

8.15am

National People’s Congress delegate Shen Jilan said before entering the conference hall:

I will fulfil my duties and contribute to building socialism in the new countryside.

8.06am

Investor Jian Zhi, in a Sina Weibo post:

The ancient Chinese saying “running a country is like cooking a fish” advises ministers to be extremely cautious when managing national affairs, so that the fragile “fish” won’t be ruined during the process.

The way Wen Jiabao has managed China was like cooking a fish, too - but only he’s flipped the fish too many times. From the beginning of his tenure until the very end, he displayed his skills through his famous interference in Tieben company’s investment in Jiangsu province (beginning of his term), contributing to China’s money to save other countries from financial crisis (his mid-term), and releasing the newest measures to curb housing prices (right before his retirement).

He’s dealt heavy blows to society and the market to make sure that the “fish” was ruined. But he’s also the leader since 1949 who’s talked the most about the constitution and rule of law. What do you think?