China's top legislature concludes standing committee session

BEIJING -- The Standing Committee of China's 14th National People's Congress (NPC) concluded its 21st session on Thursday in Beijing.

At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to remove Wang Xiangxi from the post of minister of emergency management. President Xi Jinping signed a presidential order on Wang's removal.

NPC Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the closing meeting, which also approved a deputy qualification report and other personnel-related bills.

The lawmakers approved in principle the draft work report of the NPC Standing Committee. The Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee suggested entrusting Zhao Leji to deliver the report to the upcoming fourth session of the 14th NPC.

The legislators adopted the draft agenda of the NPC session and the draft list of the session's presidium and secretary-general, and decided to submit the drafts to the preparatory meeting of the NPC session for deliberation.

They also adopted the list of the members invited to sit in on the session as non-voting participants, among other documents.

Addressing the closing meeting, Zhao emphasized that the upcoming annual NPC session will review and approve the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), deliberate the draft environmental code, the draft law on promoting ethnic unity and progress, and the draft law on national development planning, among other documents.

He called on the NPC Standing Committee to focus on the central tasks of the Party and the country, and fulfill its statutory duties with a strong sense of responsibility.

Zhao also urged the NPC Standing Committee to be open to suggestions from deputies and welcome supervision to ensure the upcoming annual NPC session is held in an efficient and pragmatic manner.

Zhao chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons before the closing meeting and presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the closing meeting.