The First Session of the 10th NPC convened in Beijing on March 5-18, 2003. There were a total of 2,983 deputies at the opening of this NPC, allowing for two deaths. Legislators present at the opening meeting numbered 2,916 and those attending the closing meeting numbered 2,913.

Statistics show 10th NPC deputies represent broad sections of the people. Among them are: 551 workers and farmers, making up 18.46 percent of the total; 631 intellectuals, 21.14 percent; 968 officials, 32.44 percent; 480 members of non-Communist parties and personages without party affiliation, 16.09 percent; 268 PLA officers and soldiers, 8.98 percent; 36 Hong Kong residents, 1.21 percent; 12 Macao residents, 0.4 percent; and 38 returned overseas Chinese, 1.27 percent.

There are 2,178 members of the Communist Party of China among them. accounting for 72.99 percent; 415 people of minority ethnic groups, 13.91 percent (All 55 minority ethnic groups nationwide have their NPC deputies); and 604 women, 20.24 percent.

Adoption of the institutional restructuring plan of the State Council. The Third Meeting of the First Session of the 10th NPC approved a plan to restructure government agencies on March 10. According to the plan, the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission would be established in an effort to deepen the reform of state asset management; the State Development Planning Commission would be reorganized into the National Development and Reform Commission to improve the macroeconomic control system; the China Banking Regulatory Commission would be set up to further financial regulation; the Ministry of Commerce would be established to incorporate administration of internal and foreign trade and international economic cooperation; the State Food and Drug Administration would be inaugurated on the basis of the State Drug Administration; and the State Family Planning Commission would be changed to the State Population and Family Planning Commission in a bid to strengthen demographic research and coordinate population and family planning. The plan also announced the removal of the State Economic and Trade Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Examination of work reports. The session examined and approved the Report on the Work of Government delivered by then Premier Zhu Rongji on behalf of the State Council. It said the report gave a realistic summation of the government's work in its five-year tenure, both fully reflecting the considerable achievements in all facets and clearly elaborating the country's existing social and economic difficulties. The report's suggestions on the government work for 2003 were pragmatic, it added.

The session examined and approved the Plan of National Economic and Social Development for 2003 put forward by the State Council after hearing an examination report of the NPC Financial and Economic Committee, and accepted the Report on the Implementation of the 2002 Plan for National Economic and Social Development and on the Draft 2003 Plan for National Economic and Social Development presented by Zeng Peiyan, then Minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission.

The session examined and approved the central budget for 2003 after hearing an examination report of the NPC Financial and Economic Committee, and voted for the Report on the Implementation of the Central and Local Budgets for 2002 and on the Draft Central and Local Budgets for 2003 presented by then Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng.

The session endorsed the work report delivered by Chairman Li Peng on behalf of the Ninth NPC Standing Committee, saying it had earnestly fulfilled its constitutional and legal duty by playing an active role in socialist democratic and legal construction, adhering to the fundamental principle of governing the nation by law and promoting the building of a socialist country under the rule of law. The session spoke highly of the progress made in the work of the Ninth NPC Standing Committee.

The session also examined and approved work reports of President Xiao Yang of the Supreme People's Court and then Procurator General Hang Zhubin of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. It called on the people's courts and people's procuratorates, by following the requirements of governing the nation by law and building a socialist country under the rule of law, to perform the functions of judicial and procuratorial organs in strict accordance with the law, further improve the political and professional qualities of judges and procurators and enhance their awareness of work ethic, and tackle problems in the construction of legal contingent.