Third session of the 14th National People's Congress
The third session of the 14th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China was held from 5 March to 11 March 2025, concurrently with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as part of the annual Two Sessions at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Preparation
The Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress held its 13th meeting on December 25, 2024, and approved the decision to convene the Third Session of the 14th NPC. The Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress convened on March 5, 2025, in Beijing.On January 27, 2025, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress declared that both Chinese and foreign journalists would be permitted to attend the interviews at that time. On February 12, 2025, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the Working Committee of NPCSC Representatives conducted a briefing session for NPC deputies in Beijing to facilitate their participation in the 2025 National People's Congress.
The Session
March 5
The Third Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress commenced at 9:00 a.m. on the 5th at the Great Hall of the People to receive Premier Li Qiang's report on governmental operations, evaluated the State Council's report on the execution of the National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2024, and considered the Draft National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2025. Additionally, the session reviewed the State Council's report on the implementation of central and local budgets, along with the draft central and local budgets for 2025. Furthermore, Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, provided an explanation regarding the draft amendments to the Law of the People's Republic of China concerning the representation of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at various levels. In the afternoon, delegations convened for a plenary session to evaluate the government work report.On the morning of the 5th, members of the CPPCC participating in the 14th Third Session of the CPPCC National Committee attended the inaugural meeting of the 14th National People's Congress, where they listened to the government's work report and the elucidation of the draft amendment to the Law on the Representation of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China at all levels. Report on the activities of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC and the management of proposals.
On March 5, Premier Li Qiang presented a report regarding government operations to the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress, highlighting the following key points:
- Evaluation of Work in 2024
- * 5% growth in Gross Domestic Product
- * Grain production surged to an unprecedented 1.4 trillion pounds for the first time.
- * New urban employment comprises 12.56 million individuals.
- * Annual output of new energy cars surpassed 13 million.
- Evaluation of Work in 2025
- * The fiscal deficit rate is proposed to be set at approximately 4%, with an increase of 1.6 trillion yuan from the prior year.
- * Government investment: planned arrangements for local government special bonds amount to 4.4 trillion yuan, reflecting an increase of 500 billion yuan compared to the previous year.
- *The aggregate new government debt amounts to 11.86 trillion yuan, reflecting an increment of 2.9 trillion yuan compared to the prior year.
- *Special treasury bonds: An issuance of 1.3 trillion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, reflecting an increase of 300 billion yuan compared to the prior year. Proposed issuance of specialized national bonds amounting to 500 billion yuan.
- *Consumption: Execute targeted measures to enhance consumption. Issuing 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special national bonds to facilitate the replacement of obsolete consumer items with new products.
- *Enhanced quality productivity: Advocate for the secure and robust advancement of emerging sectors, including commercial spaceflight and the low-altitude economy. Foster emerging sectors including bio-manufacturing, quantum technology, embodied intelligence, and 6G. Expedite the digital transformation of the manufacturing sector. Intensively advance next-generation intelligent devices, including smart grid-integrated electric vehicles, artificial intelligence smartphones and computers, intelligent robotics, and automated manufacturing machinery.
- *Enhance the availability of high school educational opportunities and progressively provide complimentary preschool education.
- *Market environment: Provide a sustainable framework for addressing the issue of overdue enterprise accounts. Implement specific measures to standardize law enforcement concerning enterprises.
- *Openness: Facilitate the systematic liberalization of the Internet, culture, and more sectors, while initiating pilot programs to broaden the accessibility of telecommunications, healthcare, education, and other domains.
- *Housing: Persisting in efforts to halt the decline of the real estate market and achieve stabilization. Enhancing the execution of urban village initiatives and the refurbishment of deteriorated structures. Encourage the procurement of shares in commercial real estate. Maintain excellence in ensuring the provision of homes.
- *Rural revival: Enhance the execution of the seed industry regeneration initiative. Initiate inter-provincial horizontal benefit payments for grain-producing and marketing regions under centralized management, and enhance support for major grain-producing counties. Expanding avenues for farmers to augment their revenues.
- *Urbanization: Facilitate the integration of qualifying agricultural migrant populations into the housing security framework. Consistently advocate for urban revitalization and the transformation of aging urban districts.
- *Ecology: Enhance the incentive framework for sustainable consumption and foster the environment-friendly development and low-carbon production methods and lifestyles.
- *Expand job and entrepreneurial opportunities for college graduates and other youth. Enhance the safeguarding of the rights and interests of workers engaged in flexible and novel employment modalities. Enhance the remuneration standards for proficient individuals.
- *Healthcare: Enhance pharmaceutical procurement policies and reinforce quality evaluation and oversight. The per capita financial subsidy levels for residents' medical insurance and basic public health services would be increased by 30 yuan and 5 yuan, respectively.
- *The minimal level for basic pensions for urban and rural inhabitants would be increased by an additional 20 yuan. Developing policies to encourage births and providing childcare subsidies.
March 6
Meetings of groups of deputies to discuss reports on the functioning of the government; assessment of program reports and drafts, budget reports, and drafts.The economic-themed press conference for the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress commenced at 3:00 p.m. in the press conference hall of the. Zheng Shanjie, Director of the National Development and Reform Commission; Minister of Finance Lan Fo'an; Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao; Chairman of the People's Bank of China Pan Gongsheng; and Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Wu Qing addressed inquiries from domestic and international journalists regarding development and reform, finance and budgeting, commerce, and securities-related matters.
March 7
Meetings of deputies' groups to evaluate program reports and drafts, budget reports and drafts; examination of proposed revisions to the Law on Deputies of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at Various Levels.Xi Jinping attended the plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force on the afternoon of the 7th. He emphasized the importance of a successful conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan for the PLA's construction in order to achieve the goal of building the PLA for a hundred years as scheduled and the comprehensive advancement of the construction of a strong nation and the national rejuvenation through a Chinese-style modernization.
The Congress conducted a press conference in the Media Center's press hall, featuring Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of [the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee] and Foreign Minister, who addressed inquiries from journalists regarding "China's foreign policy and foreign relations." Wang Yi assessed the accomplishments of the 2024 head of state diplomacy and anticipated the key features of the 2025 head of state diplomacy. He stated that China would observe the 80th anniversary of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and will conduct a series of significant events, including the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Global Leaders' Meeting on Women.
March 8
On the morning of the 8th, the Third Session of the 14th National People's Congress convened its second plenary session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to review and deliberate on the report regarding the activities of the NPC Standing Committee, as well as the reports from the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the conference.March 9
Meeting of the group of deputies to consider the draft decision on amending the Law on Representatives of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at Various Levels, the report on the work of the Supreme People's Court, and the report on the work of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.The Congress convened a press conference in the press conference hall of the Media Center on March 9. The event was attended by Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping, Minister of Housing and Urban–Rural Development Ni Hong, and Director of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao. The speakers were invited to address questions from Chinese and foreign journalists regarding civil affairs, employment and social security, housing, health, and other topics.
March 10
The plenary session of delegations reviewed the report on the activities of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the report on the Supreme People's Court, and the report on the Supreme People's Procuratorate; it also deliberated on three draft resolutions concerning the government's report, the annual plan, and the annual budget.March 11
On March 11, delegates held a group meeting to evaluate three draft resolutions regarding the reports on the activities of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate; the third plenary session of the Delegates' Assembly was also held. The third session of the 14th National People's Congress concluded in the afternoon at the Great Hall of the People. NPC Chairman Zhao Leji was absent from the Congress due to a respiratory infection, and NPC Vice-chairman Li Hongzhong presided over the closing session.The No. 45 was signed by President Xi Jinping on March 11, which stated that the Decision of the National People's Congress on Amending the Law of the People's Republic of China on Representatives of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses at Various Levels was adopted by the Third Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on March 11, 2025. The Decision is hereby promulgated to come into effect on March 12, 2025.
Voting results
Resolutions
Economic targets and budget
The following economic targets were set by the government work report submitted to the NPC:| 2025 target | ||
| GDP growth | ~5% | |
| CPI | ~2% | |
| New urban jobs | 12 million | |
| Grain Output | 1.4 trillion pounds | |
| Energy consumption per unit of GDP | reduced by about 3% |
The NPC session also adopted the following central government budget:
Government budget
In trillions of renminbi:| Planned | % change | |
| Central general public budget revenue | 9.696 | -3.5 |
| Central general public budget expenditure | 14.74 | 4.5 |
| Central government expenditure | 4.355 | 6.9 |
| Transfer to local governments | 10.342 | 8.4 |
| Local general public budget revenue | 12.289 | 3 |
| Local general public budget expenditure | 25.296 | 3.7 |
| National general public budget revenue | 21.985 | 0.1 |
| National general public budget expenditure | 29.701 | 4.4 |