Exploring changes of governance discourse of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China: A historical approach

Abstract

Purpose

The National People’s Congress (NPC) of People’s Republic of China, the highest organ of state power, is popularly seen as a rubber-stamp entity. However, it has been substantially evolving its roles to accommodate the governance discourses within China’s political system over the decades. This study aims to explore the changes of governance discourse of the NPC within China’s political system through which to offer a thorough understanding of the NPC’s evolving substantial role in current China.

Design/methodology/approach

This study deploys a historical approach to explore the changes of governance discourse of the NPC that has seen a growing importance in China’s political agenda, as argued by this study.

Findings

The authors find that the NPC has been substantially evolving its role within China’s political system in which the Chinese Communist Party has created different governance discourses. Besides, the NPC and its Standing Committee have asserted its authority as a substantial actor within China’s political system. The NPC is no longer functioned as a rubber-stamp institution, though it is still popularized as a rubber stamp by many scholars.

Research limitations/implications

This study is a historical elaboration on the development of NPC under three governance discourses. It might be, to some extent, relatively descriptive in nature.

Originality/value

This study, therefore, sheds some light on a revisit on the governance discourses in current China.

Citation

Deng, H.-W. and Cheung, K.W. (2019), "Exploring changes of governance discourse of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China: A historical approach", Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/STICS-09-2018-0014