National and Local People’s
Congresses in China
On November 7, 1931, the First People's Congress of
the Chinese Soviet Republic, which was established by
the Communist Party of China, was held in Ruijin,
central China's Jiangxi Province.
1931年11月7日,第一次全国工农兵代表大会在江西
瑞金召开,会议通过了《中华苏维埃共和国宪法大
纲》、《苏维埃地方政府暂行组织条例》,选举产生
了全国工农兵代表大会中央执行委员会和中华苏维
埃共和国临时中央政府——中央人民委员会。
The 1953 Election Law
• The first election law was passed in 1953, the
Electoral Law of the National People’s
Congress and the Local People's Congresses at
Different Levels.
• Not secret ballot
• The number of candidates equal to the
number of seats
• Elections were suspended during the cultural
revolution.
A NEW START: Deng Xiaoping (first right), then Vice Premier,
explains the Electoral Law at the 22nd Meeting of the Central
People's Government in Beijing on February 11, 1953 (XINHUA
The 1st National People’s Congress, 1954
第一届全国人大一次会议的代表举手表决
The 1979 Election Law
1. Direct elections are held at the township and
county levels.
2. The number of candidates should be greater
than the number of seats, n > s.
3. Any 10 people can nominate a candidate.
In theory, the NPC is the highest organ of state
power in China, and all four PRC constitutions
have vested it with great lawmaking powers.
Since the 1990s, the NPC has become a forum
for mediating policy differences between
different parts of the Party, the government, and
groups of society. However, it is still reckoned as
a rubber-stamp for decisions already made by
the state's executive organs and the Communist
Party of China.
The first nay vote in the history of China’s National People’s Congress, March
28, 1988. 照片:1988年3月28日，人大代表黄顺兴在七届全国人大一次会议
上发表反对意见。本报记者 贺延光摄
The 11th National People’s Congress
The 12th Congress was held on March 5, 2013
National People’s Congress Taiwan Representatives: 13 seats,
selected among the Taiwan compatriots. 台湾省全国人大代表由在
中国大陆各省、自治区、直辖市和中国人民解放军的台灣省籍
人士中选出，名額13人。选举办法是，由在各省、自治区、直
辖市、和中央国家机关、中国人民解放军中的台灣省籍同胞派
代表到北京协商选举产生。协商选举会议的代表根据台灣省籍
同胞分布情况确定的分配名额，由各省、自治区、直辖市人大
常委会负责组织协商选定。
12th Congress Representatives of Taiwan: 孔令智、朱台青、江
尔雄（女）、杨晓红（女）、汪毅夫、张雄、张晓东、陈军
（女，高山族）、陈云英（女）、陈清海、陈蔚文、符之冠、
廖海鹰
Hong Kong Representatives: 36, Macau: 12, Taiwan: 13
Although there is no legal requirement for either
membership in or approval by the Communist Party of
China, in practice the membership of the higher
people's congresses are determined by the Party. It is
possible for a dedicated person to campaign for and be
elected at the lowest level of people's congresses, and
this occurs from time to time. However because of the
series of indirect elections between the local people's
congress and the NPC, it is practically impossible for a
person to be elected to provincial or national people's
congresses against the wishes of the Communist Party.
Local People’s Congress Elections –
Independent Candidates
There are a small number of independent
candidates for people's congress,
particularly in neighborhoods of major
cities, who sometimes campaign using
weibos posted on the internet.
Independent candidates are strongly
discouraged and face government
intervention in their campaigns.
中国基层人大换届中的“独立参选人”－ a Voice of American report
http://www.voachinese.com/content/article-20120103-independentcandidate-china-136582243/792534.html
交大独立参选人——张映伟在演讲
Thirteen independent candidates were suing Beijing police for
harassment, December 7, 2012. 北京地方人大选举遭剥夺选举资
格的13名参选人周三到东城区法院提诉，法院至今未回覆是否
立案。
Research Questions?
1. Who are more likely to become an
independent candidate?
2. What have we learned from other
countries’ experiences?
3. “公安部国内安全保卫局（支队）”（简
称国保）－－FBI
The Key to Bringing Democracy to China
It's naked self-interest, stupid.
BY YASHENG HUANG | NOVEMBER 19, 2012
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/19/the_key_to_bringing_
democracy_to_china
听说 I heard people said that …
希望树