China's national legislature holds 2nd plenary meeting of annual session

The second plenary meeting of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

The third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, held its second plenary meeting Monday.

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

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, delivered a work report of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the NPC Standing Committee has provided legal support for anti-epidemic efforts and economic and social development, he said.

In the report, Li Zhanshu summed up the NPC Standing Committee's work since last year, highlighting a decision on conferring national medals and honorary titles, a decision on granting special pardons to certain convicts, and a draft decision of the NPC on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security, which is under deliberation.

Li stressed remaining committed to upholding and improving the people's congress system to ensure that the nation's destiny remains firmly in the hands of the people.

For 2020, Li said the NPC Standing Committee should push for continuous and new progress in its work surrounding the tasks of securing decisive success in the fight against poverty, building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and coordinating epidemic control and economic and social development.

At Monday's meeting, lawmakers also heard a work report of the Supreme People's Court delivered by its president Zhou Qiang.

Zhou said the top court in the past year centered its work on the goal of allowing the people to see justice served in every case and will further promote the Peaceful China initiative, and strengthen judicial services focusing on securing a victory in the fight against poverty and completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2020.

While delivering a work report of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Procurator-General Zhang Jun said since last year new advances have been made by procuratorates in safeguarding the country's political security and social stability, fighting corruption, among others.

For 2020, Zhang urged procuratorates to shoulder their responsibilities as the year is the final phase in achieving a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eradicating poverty and the sudden COVID-19 epidemic has brought new challenges.

Editor: John Li