Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
These Rules are developed based on the Constitution and the Organic Law of the National People's Congress and on a review of the practical experience from the work of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, so as to improve the rules of procedure of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and to ensure and regulate its exercise of functions and powers.
Article 2
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China and hold meetings and carry out other work in accordance with legally prescribed functions and powers and procedures.
Article 3
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall uphold and develop whole-process people's democracy, remain closely engaged with the people, heed their opinions and suggestions, embody their will, and safeguard their rights and interests.
Article 4
When deliberating on bills and proposals and making decisions, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall practice the principle of democratic centralism, give full play to democracy, and exercise its functions and powers as a collective.
Article 5
When holding meetings, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall arrange meeting durations, agendas, and schedules reasonably to enhance deliberation quality and efficiency.
Chapter II Convening of Meetings
Article 6
Meetings of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress generally shall be held every two months, and additional meetings may be held when necessary; when there is a special need, emergency meetings may be convened.
The Council of Chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall decide the dates on which meetings of the Standing Committee are held.
The Chairperson shall convene and preside over meetings of the Standing Committee. The Chairperson may entrust a Vice-Chairperson to preside over such a meeting.
Article 7
Meetings of the Standing Committee may be held only if more than half of the members of the Standing Committee are present.
Under special circumstances, members of the Standing Committee may attend such a meeting by video conferencing as decided by the Council of Chairpersons.
Article 8
The Council of Chairpersons shall draw up draft agendas of meetings of the Standing Committee and submit them to plenary meetings of the Standing Committee for decision.
During a meeting of the Standing Committee, where the agenda needs to be adjusted, the Council of Chairpersons shall propose the adjustments to the Standing Committee at its plenary meeting for approval.
The Council of Chairpersons shall decide on meeting schedules.
Article 9
When the Standing Committee shall hold a meeting, members of the Standing Committee and non-voting participants of the meeting shall be notified of the date and main proposed topics of the meeting; where an emergency meeting is convened, they may be notified at shorter notice.
Article 10
When the Standing Committee holds a meeting, the leaders of the State Council, the Central Military Commission, the National Commission of Supervision, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate shall attend the meeting as non-voting participants.
The chairpersons, vice chairpersons, and other members of the special committees of the National People's Congress who are not members of the Standing Committee, the Deputy Secretaries-General of the Standing Committee, the directors and deputy directors of the Standing Committee's working bodies; the chairperson and vice chairpersons of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee, the chairperson and vice chairpersons of the Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee, and the leaders of the relevant departments shall attend the meeting as non-voting participants.
Article 11
When the Standing Committee holds a meeting, the chairperson or one of the vice chairpersons of the standing committee of the people's congress of each province, autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government, and any other relevant locality shall attend the meeting as a non-voting participant, and the relevant deputies to the National People's Congress may be invited to attend the meeting as non-voting participants.
Under special circumstances, the Council of Chairpersons may decide to adjust the scope of non-voting participants.