China's national legislature concludes annual session--China

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, concluded its fourth session Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders including Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the closing meeting of the session at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Zhao Leji, executive chairperson of the session's presidium, presided over the meeting attended by 2,762 NPC deputies.

Lawmakers approved the government work report and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for national economic and social development.

They passed the Ecological and Environmental Code, the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law and the National Development Planning Law. Xi signed presidential orders to promulgate the laws.

Lawmakers approved a report on the implementation of the 2025 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2026 draft plan, and approved the 2026 plan.

They approved a report on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2025 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2026, and approved the central budget for 2026.

Lawmakers approved the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

They also adopted a decision on approving the report of the NPC Standing Committee on the work of the overhaul of laws and the proposed handling of certain laws and decisions. Xi signed a presidential order concerning the decision.

Addressing the meeting, Zhao said that the annual session has completed its agenda.

He noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial stage for reinforcing the foundations and pushing ahead on all fronts toward basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035, and that the effective implementation of the plan is of great significance.

Zhao stressed the need to stay focused on managing the country's own affairs well and strive for a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

He added that the people's congresses should fulfill their duties and provide the legal guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the 15th Five-Year Plan.

A meeting of the session's presidium, presided over by Zhao, was held before the closing meeting.

Zhao, who is also chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over a meeting of the executive chairpersons before the presidium meeting.