I. The Interesting Story this Month:
NPC, the PLA Modernisation, Security Deals and Military Guidelines
China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) – the highest state organ and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) national legislature – meets for two weeks in March every year along with China’s People’s Political Consultative Conferences (Together, both referred to as the two meetings). While attending the plenary meeting of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police (PAP) this year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary (GS), Xi Jinping, said that China should strengthen the use and making of military laws when engaging with other countries.
“China should make more comprehensive the body of military laws and regulations that involve foreign countries to better protect national interests through the use of the law,” said Xi. As part of efforts to elevate the role of laws in governing the country, Beijing has for years called for the prioritising of “foreign-related legal work”, including taking part in the making of international law; resolving disputes through treaties and revising domestic laws to correlate them with those of other jurisdictions. The concept of “foreign-related legal work” has been applied mostly in international commerce, less used in reference to the rules of military engagement. Xi also noted that China must speed up the “fundamental change” in the military’s governance. “We must adhere to the party having absolute leadership over the military, adhere to the standard of combat effectiveness and adhere to the building of a military rule of law system with Chinese characteristics,” he said, adding that the process of making military laws should be more systematic, comprehensive and coordinated.
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