Wang Haifeng: The People's Congress System is an Important Institutional Vehicle for Realizing China's Whole-Process People's Democracy
General Secretary Xi Jinping, in his speech at the assembly celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the National People's Congress (NPC), emphasized that "the system of people's congresses is an important institutional carrier for realizing whole-process people's democracy in our country; we must persist in the leadership of the Communist Party of China and persist in using the institutional system to guarantee that the people are masters of the country." General Secretary Xi Jinping originally proposed the major concept of whole-process people's democracy, enriching and developing the Marxist theory of the state and socialist democratic political theory, marking a new height in our Party's understanding of the laws governing the development of democratic politics. We must center our efforts on developing whole-process people's democracy, persisting in, improving, and operating the system of people's congresses effectively to provide a solid institutional guarantee for achieving the goals of the Party and the people on the new journey in the New Era.
I. Deeply Understand the Major Theoretical and Practical Significance of Whole-Process People's Democracy
Whole-process people's democracy is a landmark achievement in the innovative development of people's democracy in the New Era. It was advanced by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, based on a new historical coordinate, adhering to the "Two Combinations" [1], and profoundly grasping the laws of political development. Developing whole-process people's democracy is a vital component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization, possessing immense theoretical and practical significance.
Democracy is a vital concept to which the CPC and the Chinese people have always remained committed. General Secretary Xi Jinping noted: "We are walking a path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics; people's democracy is a type of whole-process democracy." General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively proposed the "Eight Whethers" criteria [2] for evaluating whether a country's political system is democratic and effective. He also creatively put forward the evaluative scale for a country's democracy consisting of "one key, four things to look at, and four more things to look at" [3]. These profoundly answer the fundamental question of what constitutes true and effective democracy. They reveal that the essence of democracy lies in reflecting the people's will, guaranteeing their rights and interests, and stimulating their creative vitality, rather than in simple formal procedures. This has pointed the way forward for adhering to the path of socialist political development with Chinese characteristics.
This concept centrally reflects the essential attributes and forms of realization of socialist democracy. The core of whole-process people's democracy is that the people are the masters of the country. It emphasizes that the people are the masters of the state and the subjects of democracy, embodying the nature of the socialist state. Our country implements a state system (guoti) of a people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. We utilize a system of government (zhengti) centered on the system of people's congresses, alongside basic political systems such as the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and the system of community-level self-governance. By consolidating and developing the broadest possible patriotic united front, we have formed a comprehensive, widespread, and organically linked institutional system for the people to be masters of the country. We have constructed diverse, smooth, and orderly democratic channels, building a full-chain, all-dimensional, and full-coverage democracy within complete institutional procedures and participatory practices. Whole-process people's democracy is the most extensive, genuine, and effective form of socialist democracy. It concretely and realistically manifests the principle of the people as masters of the country through the Party's governance policies, across all aspects and levels of Party and state organs, and in the work toward realizing the people's aspirations for a better life. By ensuring the high degree of unity between the essential attributes and the forms of realization of democracy, it achieves the unification of process and results-based democracy, procedural and substantive democracy, direct and indirect democracy, and people's democracy and the will of the state.
It fully demonstrates the significant advantages of socialist democratic politics. Whole-process people's democracy fits China’s national conditions, is deeply rooted in Chinese soil, and has achieved a benign interaction between democratic development and socio-economic progress. It is a full-chain democracy where the links of democratic election, democratic consultation, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision are closely connected and integrated, transforming democracy from an abstract concept into a popular practice covering the entire process of national governance. It is a democracy closely integrated with state governance: representatives are produced through democratic elections, and consensus is built through democratic consultation. The people exercise these five democratic functions according to law, forming a powerful synergy for national governance. It is an all-dimensional democracy that permeates all levels and dimensions of national political and social life, pooling the wisdom, consensus, and strength of the entire society. Furthermore, it covers all undertakings and work of the state, focusing on guaranteeing the people's economic, political, cultural, and social rights, thereby promoting the realization of social equity and justice.
II. Our Country's Fundamental Political System is the Important Institutional Carrier for Realizing Whole-Process People's Democracy
In the operation of our country's socialist democratic politics, the principle of the people as masters of the country is concretely implemented in all aspects and links of national political and social life. As the fundamental political system, the system of people's congresses serves as the vital institutional carrier for this realization.
The design and arrangement of the people's congress system consistently implement the constitutional concept that all power in the state belongs to the people. Our Constitution stipulates that all power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people; the organs through which the people exercise state power are the National People's Congress and local people's congresses at various levels. People's congresses at all levels are produced through democratic elections, are responsible to the people, and are subject to their supervision. Administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory, and procuratorial organs [4] at all levels are produced by the people's congresses, are responsible to them, and are subject to their supervision. From the nature and setup of state organs to the division and operation of their powers, everything reflects the constitutional concept that state power comes from the people, is responsible to the people, serves the people, and is supervised by the people. This institutional design persists in the supremacy of the people, taking the people's interests as the fundamental interest and the people's will as the highest will. This demonstrates that whole-process people's democracy is the essential attribute of socialist democratic politics. On the platform of the people's congress system, the people truly, extensively, and effectively enjoy the various rights granted by the Constitution and the law, maximizing the guarantee that the people are masters of the country.
The organizational form of the people's congress system ensures the smooth operation of whole-process people's democracy. Through established systems for elections, consultation, decision-making, management, and supervision, it links these functions into an organically connected and complete chain. The people exercise power through elections and voting, choosing representatives who reflect their will to hold and exercise power. Before major decisions are made and during their implementation, the people engage in full consultation to reach consensus on common issues as much as possible. Through symposiums, hearings, evaluations, consultations, and opinion polls, the people participate extensively in the decision-making process. The people exercise their constitutional rights and fulfill their responsibilities as citizens, actively participating in the management of national political and social life. Through an organically integrated and coordinated supervision system, the people can supervise the performance of state personnel at all levels. Under the guidance and supervision of the people's congress system, state organs coordinate closely to ensure the realization of democracy across all aspects of political life. As the fundamental path and highest form of realization for the people as masters of the country, all major national matters are decided by the people's congresses and their standing committees, which then supervise other state organs' implementation. This system regulates political life and relations across all fields, always treating the reflection of the people's aspirations as the basic criterion for decision-making, execution, and supervision.
The powerful functions of the people's congress system fully manifest the unity of people's democracy and the will of the state. The congresses organize elections according to law; from the democratic election of deputies to the exercise of their duties and the people's supervision over them, the entire process implements the principles of whole-process democracy. By broadly soliciting opinions from all fields, the voices of the people are integrated into legal provisions. By reviewing and approving plans and budgets, discussing and deciding on major issues, and supervising the work of administrative, supervisory, adjudicatory, and procuratorial organs, the system ensures that every link of national life reflects the people's will, demonstrating the unity of process and results-based democracy. From fair election procedures to the organization of sessions and the deliberation of motions, there are clear legal regulations. The system combines universal, equal, direct, and indirect elections, and leaders of state organs are elected or appointed by the congresses at corresponding levels. Simultaneously, through multiple channels, the masses participate directly or indirectly in legislation and supervision, manifesting the unity of direct and indirect democracy. The system allows the Party's propositions to become the will of the state through legal procedures, ensuring that the Party's line, principles, and policies are fully implemented, thereby manifesting the unity of people's democracy and the will of the state.
The people's congress system provides a rule-of-law guarantee for whole-process people's democracy. The main content and basic requirements of this democracy are confirmed in the Constitution. The 2021 amendment to the Organic Law of the NPC added the provision that "the NPC and its Standing Committee shall adhere to whole-process democracy, maintain close ties with the people, listen to their opinions and suggestions, reflect the people's will, and safeguard the people's rights and interests." The 2022 amendment to the Local Organic Law similarly incorporated "adhering to whole-process people's democracy" into its general provisions. Throughout the economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological fields, the NPC and its Standing Committee have formulated and improved a series of laws, promoting coordinated reforms in legislation, law enforcement, judicature, and law observance. This ensures that the realization of the people's democratic rights is effectively guaranteed by law.
III. Give Full Play to the Role of the People's Congress System as the Important Institutional Carrier for Realizing Whole-Process People's Democracy
We must persist in, improve, and operate the system of people's congresses to further the development and maturity of whole-process people's democracy.
We must always persist in the fundamental institutional arrangement of the organic unity of the Party’s leadership, the people as masters of the country, and the law-based governance of the country. This involves upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and supporting the people in exercising state power through the people's congresses. We must ensure the people exercise their right to vote according to law and elect deputies. We should continuously expand the people's orderly political participation, strengthen the rule-of-law guarantee for human rights, and maintain the people's broad rights and freedoms. We must improve the mechanisms for implementing democratic centralism, ensuring that congresses at all levels fully promote democracy and exercise their functions collectively. We must ensure that the people's rights to be informed, to participate, to express themselves, and to supervise are implemented in all aspects of the congresses' work, ensuring the people's voice is heard in every link of decision-making, execution, and supervision.
We must continuously improve the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, with the Constitution at its core. This means fully implementing constitutional provisions, principles, and spirit, and systematically advancing constitutional implementation, interpretation, and supervision to ensure all state organs perform their duties within the scope of the Constitution and the law. We must give full play to the functional roles of the people's congresses in promoting scientific legislation, strict law enforcement, impartial justice, and universal law observance. We must adapt to the new situations in economic, social, and technological development, meeting the new legal requirements for the modernization of the national governance system and capacity. We must meet the people's new expectations for the rule of law by promptly improving and adding new legislative projects, coordinating the formulation, revision, abolition, interpretation, and codification of laws. We must accelerate the improvement of legal systems that embody equality of rights, opportunities, and rules. We must continuously improve mechanisms for soliciting public legislative opinions and publicizing draft laws. Finally, we must well-construct community-level legislative contact points (基层立法联系点) [5], giving full play to their role as "express buses" that reflect and listen to public opinion and pool the wisdom of the people.
We must continuously improve the systems for oversight by the People’s Congresses over administrative, supervisory, judicial, and procuratorial organs. By practicing correct oversight, effective oversight, and oversight in accordance with the law, we ensure that administrative, supervisory, judicial, and procuratorial powers are exercised correctly and legally, guaranteeing that the legitimate rights and interests of the masses are maintained and realized. Administrative, supervisory, judicial, and procuratorial organs at all levels must consciously accept the oversight of the People’s Congress. We should perfect the Oversight Law and its implementation mechanisms, strengthening the People’s Congress's audit of budgets and final accounts, as well as its oversight of state-owned asset management and government debt management. Focusing on the major decision-making deployments of the Party Central Committee and the hot-button issues and difficulties of concern to the masses, we must strengthen oversight of the implementation of specialized laws in key areas of people's livelihoods, enhancing the targeted nature and effectiveness of oversight work. We should coordinate the use of statutory oversight methods, continuously optimizing mechanisms such as enforcement inspections, hearing and deliberating relevant work reports, specialized inquiries, and specialized research, while constantly innovating and improving oversight methods to expand the participation of the masses in oversight work.
We must support and guarantee the performance of duties by deputies to the People's Congresses in accordance with the law. Deputies must carry out their work under the leadership of the Party; from deliberating various motions to putting forward comments and suggestions, everything must closely revolve around the central work of the Party and the state to ensure the correct direction of duty performance. We should improve the People’s Congress's platforms and vehicles for the expression of democracy and public opinion, perfecting the rules of procedure and the systems for demonstration, evaluation, appraisal, and hearings, and soundly establishing mechanisms for absorbing public opinion and pooling the wisdom of the people. We should expand and deepen the content and forms through which deputies contact the masses, continuously optimizing "Deputy Homes," "Deputy Liaison Stations," and grassroots-level legislative contact points [6]. By utilizing platforms such as the solicitation system for comments on draft laws, the national database of laws and regulations, recording and review [7] information, and online petitioning systems, we should improve methods like specialized research, home visits, and collective inspections to go deep into the grassroots and stay close to the masses, reflecting their true demands and expectations in a timely manner. We should further strengthen the connection between the Standing Committees of the People’s Congresses and the deputies, building a direct contact mechanism between Standing Committee members and deputies. Through regular communication and inviting deputies to attend Standing Committee meetings as non-voting participants, deputies can personally participate in the discussion and decision-making process for major matters. We must improve the mechanisms for state organs to contact deputies, combining traditional and innovative methods and integrating online and offline approaches, inviting deputies to participate in relevant work and activities, and extensively listening to their opinions and suggestions so that they can deeply participate in public affairs decision-making. We should vigorously promote systemic, targeted, and professional training for deputies to continuously enhance their capacity to perform their duties. We must perfect the regulations for managing deputy performance, refining various norms from meeting attendance and the submission of motions and suggestions to contact with constituents. We should build an all-round oversight system for deputy performance, including oversight by the Standing Committee, voters, and society, to provide a safeguard for deputies to perform their duties according to the law.
We must strengthen the self-construction of the People’s Congresses and their Standing Committees. The People’s Congresses and their Standing Committees at all levels must become political organs that consciously uphold the leadership of the CPC, state power organs that guarantee the people's status as masters of the country, working organs that fully shoulder the various duties entrusted by the Constitution and the law, and representative organs that maintain close ties with the masses at all times. We must build a workforce for the People's Congress that is politically firm, serves the people, reveres the rule of law, promotes democracy, and is diligent and responsible. We should give full play to the important role of the People's Congress in ensuring the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Constitution and laws, its leading role in legislative work, its important role within the Party and state oversight system, and its leading role in maintaining close contact with the masses. We should promote the high-quality development of People's Congress work through seeking progress while maintaining stability [8], and fulfill the functional role of the People's Congress in developing whole-process people's democracy.
(The author is the Dean and Grade-II Professor of the School of Marxism at the Party School of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee)
Online Editor: Tongxin Source: Qiushi Reports [9], Issue 06, 2025