Like Western politicians in an election year, China's political leaders are polishing their images ahead of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) next week. Wen Jiabao, widely expected to become the next prime minister, spent Lunar New Year's eve in a coal mine in Liaoning province, eating dumplings with miners in an attempt to show he has not lost his common touch. Hu Jintao, the general secretary of the Communist Party, who will assume the post of president, has pledged his support for the rural poor and the infirm. Dismissed by some as a rubber-stamp institution, hailed by others as the best hope for China's democratic transformation, the NPC always draws plenty of attention. The legislative session of the NPC will run from March 5 to 18. 'The NPC takes into account the interests of the whole society,' said Fang Ning, deputy director of the Institute of Political Science at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. 'Its importance cannot be disputed.' According to the constitution, state power belongs to the people, who exercise that power through the NPC and the local people's congresses. In theory, the deputies are elected by the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government and the armed forces. But in reality it is the party that decides who becomes a deputy. Li Shenzhi, a leading liberal intellectual, said he had served as an NPC deputy and even sat on the presidium after intervention by the party. Elected for five-year terms, the deputies meet annually to act as 'advocates' for the people in dialogue with the state. But the most important decisions are made by the congress standing committee, which will meet tomorrow and Friday for the last time before the 10th congress kicks off. As the Communist Party tries to introduce the rule of law, the NPC has taken on more importance as a legislative power. The focus of the ninth congress, held in 1998, was on reducing the size of the bureaucracy. Premier Zhu Rongji axed half of the staff of the State Council and reduced the ministry to 29. But in the five years since then, the offices have expanded again to meet new demands arising from social and economic changes, especially after China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The contraction and expansion of the government showed that the era of headline reforms was over, according to Professor Fang. David Zweig, Professor of Political Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, noted that despite reforms, crucial decisions were still made in small groups away from the public eye, and that the leaders' personalities still mattered. With the fiery Zhu Rongji bowing out, the consensus-seeking leaders are not likely to add lustre the congress, he said. As the Chinese economy becomes more integrated with those of other countries, foreign investors are keeping a close watch on new laws enacted to implement China's commitment as a WTO member. 'We face a high degree of political risk while doing business in China,' said an American banker, adding that any change in government policy tended to punish those who were already in the market. As the size of the Chinese market expands, a growing number of foreign investors will be looking for warning signals from the congress, he said. Graphic: CONFGWK
