The Role of Local People’s Congresses in Chinese Governance

Paul Tsai China Center Visiting Scholar Sun Ying, a leading scholar on China’s system of people’s congresses, will discuss the history, structure, and composition of local people’s congresses. Focusing on those in Guangdong Province, she will also explore how their legislative, oversight, and representative functions shape their role in China’s local governance, as well as the forces driving their reform.

China has approximately 40,000 people’s congresses across four local administrative levels—provincial, municipal, county, and township—staffed by nearly 2.8 million delegates. While local people’s congresses share core functions with the National People’s Congress, their role in China’s political and legal system is often overlooked outside the country. How does their legislation contribute to local governance and interact with national law? How do they oversee other state institutions? Who are their delegates, and what influence, if any, do they have on local policymaking? Join us as Professor Sun unpacks these and other key questions about China’s local people’s congresses.

Registration¹ required.