{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.027641707487753672, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0003498950314905528, 'mean_word_length': 5.5423340961098395, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
An Introduction to Procedural Rule in China’s Provincial People’s Congress

The Provincial People’s Congress (PPC) is the provincial legislature of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). According to China’s current Constitution, legislature is structured as a unicameral parliament, which has the power to elect senior officials and to supervise the operation of government, courts, and procurator at corresponding levels. In particular, the PPC has a collection of functions and powers including electing delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and approving the appointment of senior officials in provincial government, as well as examining the work reports of the government. Additionally, the standing committee exercises most of the Constitution’s power on a day-to-day basis. According to the Organic Law (Article 6), the PPC is elected for a term of five years. The annual sessions are held in early spring before the National “Two Sessions,” which often last around two weeks. In theory, various levels of people’s congresses are the supreme political authority in China’s political system. Throughout the history of the PRC, all four versions of the constitutions were vested in the People’s Congress, with substantial law-making power. At the provincial level, the PPC approves the most fundamental policy issues and makes key personnel decisions. While in practice, a growing literature suggests that the People’s Congress mainly play two roles. First, it serves as a cooptation platform to incorporate elites with non-party membership, such as private entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and religionists. Regarding its policy-making function, People’s Congress is a consultative venue, through which citizens’ non-politically sensitive demands could be considered. Several studies show that delegates debated over controversial public policies and initiated legislative motions on the legislative drafts rather than voting affirmatively. A case study on the Hainan provincial congress tracked the process of how the standing committee and different government branches dealt with the delegates’ motions and suggestions, finally finding that the PPCs play a substantial role in advising the policies. The drafting process of the PPC is governed by three laws: the Organic Law of the various levels of People’s Congress, the Legislative Law, and the PPC procedural rules. The Organic Law clarifies the hierarchical relationships among different levels of People’s Congress, the electoral procedure, and delegates’ right and obligation in the congress; the Legislative Law offers comprehensive regulations over the drafting process and scope of legal application. These two national laws cover general provisions on legislation, while thirty-one PPC procedural rules offer diversified provisions for organizing the meeting and drafting process.