NPC passes Constitution update

The third plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

That new sentence reflects the fundamental, comprehensive and contemporary nature of the Party's leadership, said Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee.

The Party's leadership was included in the first article of the Constitution, as the Party exercises overall leadership in all areas of endeavor in every part of the country, Shen said at a news conference on the revisions.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to a Chinese context and encapsulates the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people, Shen said.

The inclusion of Xi Jinping Thought and the Scientific Outlook on Development ensures that the country's guiding theories will advance with the times, Shen added.

Zheng Shuna, vice-chairwoman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the amendment, for the first time elaborating on the supervisory commissions, is part of the top-level design as the country deepens the reform of its supervisory system.

The reform's goal is to integrate resources and manpower for anti-corruption, boost the Party's leadership in the fight against graft and establish a unified, efficient supervisory system for the country, Zheng told the media.

Also adopted was a change in the tenure of the president and vice-president.

Lawmakers at the ongoing annual session agreed that the constitutional revision accords with the aspirations of the Communist Party of China and the people and has won approval both inside and outside the Party.

The revision is of historic significance for ensuring the prosperity and lasting security of both the Party and the country, according to the lawmakers.