The NPC Standing Committee is empowered to appoint:

Ministers in charge of ministries and commissions;

the Auditor-General;

the Secretary-General of the State Council (following nomination by the Premier of the State Council);

Vice Chairs of the Central Military Commission and members of the commission (following nomination by the Chair of the Central Military Commission).

The NPC Standing Committee is empowered to both appoint and dismiss:

Vice Presidents and Judges of the Supreme People's Court (SPC);

Members of SPC Judicial Committee;

the President of the Military Court (requires a motion to be put by the SPC President);

Deputy Procurators-General and Procurators of the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP);

Members of the SPP Procuratorial Committee;

the Chief Procurator of the Military Procuratorate (requires a motion by the SPP President).

The NPC Standing Committee is empowered to approve the appointment and dismissal of:

Chief Procurators of the people's procuratorates of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government.

The NPC Standing Committee is empowered to approve the appointment and recall of:

Ambassadors and representatives abroad.

Decisions concerning major issues of state

The NPC Standing Committee has major decision-making responsibilities including:

deciding on the ratification and abrogation of treaties and agreements concluded with foreign countries;

establishing various systems of title and rank especially those for military and diplomatic personnel;

establishing classes of state medals and honorary titles and deciding on their conferment;

deciding on the granting of special pardons;

declaring a state of war when the state faces invasion or is bound by international treaty to respond to aggression (only when the NPC itself is not in session);

ordering general or partial mobilization;

announcing a state of martial law either nationwide or in particular provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central government;

considering and approving such adjustments to the Plan for National Economic and Social Development and to the State Budget as may prove necessary in the course of their implementation (when the NPC is not in session).

Other duties and powers assigned by the NPC

In addition the Standing Committee is charged by the NPC to carry out a range of other duties when the NPC itself is not in session. It is the Standing Committee which runs the elections of the NPC deputies, convenes the sessions of the NPC, maintains contact with NPC deputies and organizes their activities relating to the NPC's monitoring role and within its special committees.