The chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), Zhao Leji, on Monday said the committee must strive for high-quality development to contribute to a sound start of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

The exhortation came as he delivered the NPCSC's work report at the second plenary meeting in Beijing, which was attended by President Xi Jinping and other state leaders.

Zhao said it must uphold the president's core position in the party's central committee and in the party as a whole and earnestly carry out plans made during the fourth plenary session of the 20th central committee in October.

"We must improve the people's congress system and deeply study general secretary Xi Jinping's key theory on it," he said in the Great Hall of the People.

"We must uphold the unity of leadership by the party, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance. We must develop whole-process people's democracy and work to ensure the people's congress system is upheld, improved and implemented successfully."

Zhao also said there was room for improvement insofar as the legislature's work was concerned.

"We are also keenly aware that there still exists a number of gaps and shortcomings in our work. The quality of our legislation must be further improved. The effectiveness of our oversight has room for enhancement," he said.

Zhao also hailed the successful co-ordination and completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan amid what he described as a "truly remarkable" year in 2025.

He said the central government had formulated policies that better addressed the needs of the people and improved livelihoods in 2025, as the congress implemented the major decisions and plans of the party's central committee.

The government's areas of focus, he said, included protecting workers in flexible and new forms of employment, as well as deepening urban-rural integration.

"We designated a number of topics for special reports, conducted thorough preliminary research, and fostered closer work communication, and urged relevant parties to take rectification measures," Zhao said.

Zhao also said Beijing officials had arranged seminars for deputies from Hong Kong and Macao to provide them with the necessary information that would help them better perform their duties.

"We have also strengthened the duties and oversight of management of their performance," he said.


Edited by Tony Sabine