The National People's Congress, or NPC, voted 2,852-to-18 in favor of the government work report that was delivered at the start of the 11-day session by Premier Li Keqiang.
The premier was to hold his only scheduled news conference of the year later Sunday. Li's address at the congress affords him a rare opportunity to emerge from the shadow of president and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, who has established himself as the most powerful Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping — author of China's modernization drive in the 1980s.
Although the premier has traditionally overseen the economy and government administration, Xi has absorbed a growing number of portfolios over his first two years in office that have left Li a much diminished figure. Xi has placed himself in charge of policy-making panels on security, the Internet and the economy that do not answer to the NPC, making the legislature less relevant.
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During the annual session that closed Sunday morning, the congress approved a single piece of legislation in the form of amendments intended to modernize and update China's legislative law that acts as a sort of mini-constitution governing how laws are enacted.
While most of the congress' legislative business is conducted by its 150-member Standing Committee, the annual full assembly plays a key role in communicating government priorities to the grassroots and ostensibly is aimed at hearing the concerns of legislators who, though not directly elected, are supposed to represent the interests of Chinese citizens.
Also in Li's work report this year were some targets for battling pollution, a continued emphasis on fighting corruption and a pledge to find jobs for the 7.49 million university students who will graduate this year.
