NPC CLOSES MARCH 13 WITH PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 000664 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/13/2034 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EFIN CH SUBJECT: NPC CLOSES MARCH 13 WITH PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT WORK REPORTS REF: A. BEIJING 649 ¶B. BEIJING 633 ¶C. BEIJING 614 ¶D. BEIJING 607 ¶E. BEIJING 589 ¶F. BEIJING 580 ¶G. BEIJING 559 ¶H. BEIJING 531 ¶I. 08 BEIJING 1024 ¶J. 07 BEIJING 1790 ¶K. 06 BEIJING 4760 ¶L. 05 BEIJING 4273 ¶M. 04 BEIJING 4227 ¶N. 03 BEIJING 3087 Classified By: Political Internal Unit Chief Dan Kritenbrink. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The 2009 NPC closed March 13 with a brief final ceremony at which delegates approved by overwhelming margins the various "work reports" presented earlier in the NPC session. Although the vote totals revealed that opposition from delegates to the government's reports has increased slightly over the past three years, particularly regarding the reports of the Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuratorate, the results remained within historically consistent margins. Comment: With no legislation on the docket and no personnel changes, this year's NPC appeared particularly uneventful. In the face of significant challenges including the global financial crisis, the session seemed designed primarily to demonstrate Chinese confidence and unity to both domestic and international audiences. End Summary and Comment. VOTES ON WORK REPORTS AT NPC CLOSING -------------- ¶2. (SBU) China's annual political spectacle, the "two meetings" (the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)) formally concluded on the morning of March 13. NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo presided over the closing session, and in front of the entire Chinese leadership, including the 25 members of the CCP Politburo, as well as the nearly 3,000 NPC delegates assembled in the Great Hall of the People, Wu required only 22 minutes to make opening remarks, lead an anemic singing of the PRC national anthem (this was the first year delegates were required to sing),conduct voting on the six government "work reports" presented earlier in the NPC session and deliver a perfunctory closing address that declared the session to have been "victorious." As expected, all of the reports were passed by overwhelming majorities. ¶3. (SBU) The vote totals nevertheless revealed that opposition from NPC delegates to the government work reports has continued to increase slightly over the past three years (see below),despite remaining within historically consistent margins. (Note: refs I-N contain vote totals for 1998-2008.) The Supreme People's Court (SPC) and Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) reports, in particular, continued to garner the lowest levels of support, passing with 75 and 76 percent of delegates' votes, respectively, reflecting long-standing dissatisfaction over corruption within China's criminal justice system. Delegates reacted with an audible gasp when the totals for those two reports were released, given the (relatively) high number of opposition votes. THE VOTE TOTALS -------------- ¶4. (U) The voting results by delegates on the standard six government "work reports" for 2009, 2008 and 2007 are as follows: 2009 NPC VOTE TOTALS: Report For Against Abstain No Vote Percent -------------- -------------- Govt Work Rpt 2824 42 22 10 97 Econ/Soc Dev 2669 145 71 13 92 Budget 2440 315 124 19 84 NPC Work Rpt 2721 99 68 10 94 SPC Work Rpt 2172 519 192 15 75 SPP Work Rpt 2210 505 162 21 76 2008 NPC VOTE TOTALS: BEIJING 00000664 002 OF 002 Report For Against Abstain No Vote Percent -------------- -------------- Govt Work Rpt 2885 32 12 3 98 Econ/Soc Dev 2747 125 55 5 94 Budget 2462 362 102 6 84 NPC Work Rpt 2846 57 23 6 97 SPC Work Rpt 2287 521 120 4 78 SPP Work Rpt 2270 514 142 6 77 2007 NPC VOTE TOTALS: Report For Against Abstain No Vote Percent -------------- -------------- Govt Work Rpt 2862 17 10 0 99 Econ/Soc Dev 2737 92 56 4 95 Budget 2532 220 131 6 88 NPC Work Rpt 2826 30 30 3 98 SPC Work Rpt 2395 359 127 8 83 SPP Work Rpt 2414 342 128 5 84 DELEGATES' VIEWS -------------- ¶5. (C) A random sampling by PolOffs of delegates' views after the closing revealed that NPC deputies generally remained "satisfied" with the session, which contained "no surprises." A delegate from Heilongjiang said he thought the government's explanation of China's response to the global financial crisis was the most important outcome, though he noted there had also been a great deal of focus on domestic issues, including nettlesome social problems. Though the general direction of government policies is "correct," the delegate said a number of "adjustments" will be required as central policies undoubtedly will encounter "difficulties" in the year ahead. A delegate from Jiangxi and one from Guangdong agreed that this year's session was "normal," asserting that higher opposition to the SPC and SPP reports was "natural" and in line with past years' results. A representative from Sichuan played up his role as an NPC deputy, saying that he had "fulfilled his responsibilities" and had even successfully put forward seven proposals of his own. BIO NOTE: HU JINTAO ENTHUSIASTIC AT NPC CLOSE -------------- ¶6. (C) PolOff observed that the normally reserved President Hu Jintao appeared particularly engaged and enthusiastic following the close of the NPC session. On the dais as delegates filed out of the Great Hall of the People, Hu energetically shook Premier Wen's hand and engaged in a relatively lengthy conversation with Wen before being joined by Vice President Xi Jinping. As Xi began to accompany Hu toward the exit, other leaders stopped by to chat with the President as he leisurely strolled toward the edge of the dais. Hu ended up being one of the last senior leaders to depart. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) With no legislation on the docket and no personnel changes, this year's NPC seemed particularly uneventful. Despite focusing on the global financial crisis and addressing social problems, China's leaders appeared to play it particularly "safe" by providing few details on proposals discussed during the NPC sessions. Rather, in the face of significant challenges, the 2009 NPC seemed designed primarily to demonstrate Chinese confidence and unity to both domestic and international audiences. WEINSTEIN