Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIJING664
2009-03-13 11:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Beijing
Cable title:  

NPC CLOSES MARCH 13 WITH PASSAGE OF GOVERNMENT

Tags:  PGOV PREL ECON EFIN CH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8628
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHBJ #0664/01 0721111
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 131111Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2875
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
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
-------

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