µÑÇÍÂèÒ§
       
       

Ãкºà¼´ç¨¡ÒÃâ´Â¾Ãä¡ÒÃàÁ×ͧ¤ÍÁÁÔǹÔʵì
       
       

(»ÃÐà·È¨Õ¹ – ÃÑ°¸ÃÃÁ¹Ù­ ¤.È.1982 )
       
       

(A)
       
       

THE CONSTITUTION OF
       
       

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 1982
       
       

(as Amended to March 14, 2004)
       
       

PREAMBLE
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

CHAPTER I
       
       

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
       
       

Article 1
       
       

The People’s Republic of China is a socialist state under the people’s democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants.
       
       

The socialist system is the basic system of the People’s Republic of China Sabotage of the socialist system by any organization or individual is prohibited.
       
       

[N.B.  Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 1992 – chapter I, article 2 : “The SRV is of the people , by the people and for the people , All state power  belongs to the people based on the worker–peasants – intellectual alliance.]
       
       

Article 2
       
       

All power in the People’s Republic of China belongs to the people.
       
       

The organs through which the people exercise state power are the Nation People’s Congress and the local people’s congresses at different levels.
       
       

The people administer state affairs and manage economic, cultural and social affairs through various channels and in various ways in accordance with the law.
       
       

Article 3
       
       

The state organs of the People’s Republic of China apply the principle of democratic centralism.
       
       

The National People’s Congress and the local people’s congresses at different levels are instituted through democratic election. They are responsible to the people and subject to their supervision.
       
       

All administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the state are created by the people’s congresses to which they are responsible and under whose supervision they operate.
       
       

The division of functions and powers between the central and local state organs in guided by the principle of giving full play to the initiative and enthusiasm of the local authorities under the unified leadership of the central authorities.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Article 6
       
       

The basis of the socialist economic system of the People’s Republic of China is socialist public ownership of the means of production, namely, ownership by the whole people and collective ownership by the working people. The system of socialist public ownership supersedes the system of exploitation of man by man; it applies the principle of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his work.”
       
       

During the Primary stage of socialism, the State of socialism, the State adheres to the basic economic system with the public ownership remaining dominant and diverse sectors of the economy developing side by side, and the coexistence of a variety of modes of distribution.
       
       

Article 7
       
       

The State-owned economy, that is, the socialist economy under ownership by the whole people, is the leading force in the national economy. The State ensures the consolidation and growth of the State-owned economy.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

CHAPTER II
       
       

THE FUNDAMENT RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS
       
       

CHAPTER III
       
       

THE STRUCTURE OF THE STATE
       
       

Section 1
       
       

The National People’s Congress
       
       

Article 57
       
       

The National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China is the highest organ of state power. Its permanent body is the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

Article 58
       
       

The National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee exercise the legislative power of the state.
       
       

Article 59
       
       

The National People’s Congress is composed of deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and the special administrative regions, and of deputies elected from the armed forces. All the minority nationalities are entitled to appropriate representation.
       
       

Election of deputies to the National People’s Congress is conducted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

The number of deputies to the National People’s Congress and the manner of their election are prescribed by law.
       
       

Article 60
       
       

The Nation People’s Congress is elected for a term of five year.
       
       

Two months before the expiration of the term of office of a National People’s Congress, its Standing Committee must ensure that the election of deputies to the succeeding National People’s Congress is completed. Should exceptional circumstances prevent such an election, it may be postponed by decision of a majority vote of more than two-thirds of all those on the Standing Committee of the incumbent National People’s Congress, and the term of office of the incumbent National People’s Congress may be extended. The election of deputies to the succeeding National People’s Congress must be completed within one year after the termination of such exceptional circumstances.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Article 62
       
       

The National People’s Congress exercises the following functions and power:
       
       

            1. To amend the Constitution;
       
       

            2. To supervise the enforcement of the Constitution;
       
       

            3. To enact and amend basic statutes concerning criminal offenses, civil affairs, the state organs and other matters;
       
       

            4. To elect the President and the Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China;
       
       

            5. To decide on the choice of the Premier of the State Council upon nomination by the President of the People’s Republic of China, and to decide on the choice of the Vice-Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of Ministries or Commissions and the Auditor-General and the Secretary-General of the State Council upon nomination by the Premier;
       
       

                6. To elect the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and, upon his nomination, to decide on the choice of the other members of the Central Military Commission;
       
       

            7. To elect the President of the Supreme People’s Court;
       
       

            8. To elect the Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate;
       
       

            9. To examine and approve the plan for national economic and social development and the reports on its implementation;
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Article 63
       
       

The National People’s Congress has the power to recall or remove from office the following person:
       
       

            1. The President and the Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China;
       
       

            2. The Premier. Vice-Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of Ministries of Commissions and the Auditor-General and the Secretary-General of the State Council;
       
       

            3. The Chairman of the Central Military Commission and others on the commission;
       
       

            4. The President of the Supreme People’ Court; and
       
       

            5. The Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Article 65
       
       

The Standing Committee of the Nation People’s Congress is composed of the following: the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, the Secretary-General and Members.
       
       

Minority nationalities are entitle to appropriate representation on the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

The National People’s Congress elects, and has the power to recall, all those on its Standing Committee.
       
       

No one on the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress shall hold any post in any of the administrative, judicial or procuratorial organs of the state.
       
       

Article 66
       
       

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress is elected for the same term as the National People’s Congress; it exercises its functions and powers until a new Standing Committee is elected by the succeeding National People’s Congress.
       
       

The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.
       
       

Article 67
       
       

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress exercises the following functions and powers:
       
       

            1. To interpret the Constitution and supervise its enforcement;
       
       

            2. To enact and amend statutes with the exception of those which should be enacted by the National People’s Congress;
       
       

            3. To enact, when the National People’s congress is not in session, partial supplements and amendments to statutes enacted by the National People’s Congress; provided that they do not contravene the basic principles of these statutes
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Section 2
       
       

The President of the People’s Republic of China
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Article 79
       
       

National law has higher legal authority than administrative regulations, local decrees and administrative or local rules. Administrative regulations [have] higher legal authority than local decrees and administrative or local rules.
       
       

Article 80
       
       

A local decree has higher legal authority than local rules issued by governments at the same level and lower level. Local rules enacted by the People’s Government of a province or autonomous region have higher legal authority than local rules enacted by the People’s Government of a major city located in its jurisdiction.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Section 3
       
       

The State Council
       
       

Article 85
       
       

The State Council, that is, the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, is the executive body of the highest organ of state power; it is the highest organ of state administration.
       
       

Article 86
       
       

The State Council is composed of the following: the Premier, the Vice-Premiers, the State Councilors, the ministers in charge of ministries, the ministers in charge of commissions, the Auditor-General, and the Secretary-General.
       
       

The Premier has overall responsibility for the State Council.
       
       

The Ministers have overall responsibility for the respective ministries of commissions under their charge. The organization of the State Council is prescribed by law.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

Section 4
       
       

The Central Military Commission
       
       

Article 93
       
       

The Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China directs the armed forces of the country.
       
       

The Central Military Commission is composed of the following: the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, and members.
       
       

The Chairman of Central Military Commission has overall responsibility for the commission.
       
       

The term of office of the Central Military Commission is the same as that of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

Article 94
       
       

The Chairman of the Central military Commission is responsible to the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------

       
       

(B)
       
       

THE ORGANIC LAW OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE’S
       
       

CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 1982[1]
       
       

CHAPTER I
       
       

SESSIONS OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
       
       

Article 1
       
       

Sessions of the National People’s Congress shall be convened in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the people’ Republic of China.
       
       

The first session of each National People’s Congress shall be convened by the Standing Committee of the previous National People’s Congress within two months of the election of deputies to the current National People’ Congress.
       
       

Article 2
       
       

A month before the convening of a session of the National People’s Congress, its Standing Committee shall notify the deputies of the date of the session and of the main items on the proposed agenda.
       
       

The Provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to specially convened sessions of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

Article 3
       
       

After deputies to the National People’s Congress have been elected, their credentials shall be examined by the Credentials Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
       
       

Based on the reports submitted by the Credentials Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress shall affirm the qualifications of deputies or invalidate the election of individual deputies, and shall publish the list of affirmed deputies prior to the first session of each National Peoples’ Congress.
       
       

Deputies to the National People’s Congress who are elected through by-elections shall have their credentials examined in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraphs.
       
       

Article 4
       
       

Deputies to the National People’s Congress shall be grouped into delegations based on the units that elect them. Each delegation shall elect a head and deputy-heads.
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------
       
       

------------------- etc. --------------------