Constitutional Amendment Process

The Constitution must continuously improve and develop with the advancement of socialist practice under the CPC leadership. In the new era, the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics urges the revision of the Constitution. September 29, 2017

General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which passed a decision to amend the Constitution and set up a constitutional amendment group headed by Zhang Dejiang, with Wang Huning and Li Zhanshu serving as deputy heads.

November 13, 2017

The CPC Central Committee issued a notice of soliciting opinions on revising part of the Constitution, elaborately organizing discussions and listening to the opinions of various regions and departments on all aspects to propose amendments to the Constitution. During the drafting of the proposal, General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired the meetings of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and its Standing Committee several times, and deliberated on the draft for the purpose and direction of the next stage of work. In the first round of soliciting opinions, 2,639 pieces of suggestions on the constitutional amendment were provided by various departments and regions and people outside the Party.

December 12, 2017

The General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued a notice and asked for advice to a certain extent within the Party on the draft of the proposal for the amendment to the Constitution. Various departments and regions submitted 118 written reports and 230 amendment suggestions.

December 15, 2017

General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a conference of people outside the Party. He listened to the opinions and suggestions of the central committees of non-communist parties, heads of the All-china Federation of Industry and Commerce and non-party personages. Ten copies of written speeches were submitted by people outside the Party. The constitutional amendment group held 13 working group meetings and four plenary meetings to review and study the opinions and suggestions on various aspects. From thousands of suggestions to the 21 pieces of constitutional amendment advice by the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Committee insisted on revising only part of the Constitution, without making radical changes, to ensure its continuity, stability and authority.

January 2-3, 2018

Upon the arrangement of the CPC Central Committee, Zhang Dejiang presided over four seminars and listened to the heads of Party and state departments, experts from think tanks and heads of standing committees of provincial-level people’s congresses for their opinions and suggestions on the CPC Central Committee’s draft proposal on the amendment to the Constitution. A total of 52 written documents were submitted by attendees at the seminars.

January 18-19, 2018

During the second plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, its draft proposal on constitutional amendment fully absorbed the participants’ opinions and suggestions, and was further revised and then passed.

January 26, 2018

The CPC Central Committee delivered its proposal on revising part of the Constitution to the NPC Standing Committee.

January 29-30, 2018

The 12th NPC Standing Committee held its 32nd meeting. Entrusted by the CPC Central Committee, Li Zhanshu explained the proposal on constitutional amendment to the NPC Standing Committee. The meeting discussed over the CPC Central Committee’s proposal on constitutional amendment, and decided to submit the draft amendment to the Constitution to the first session of the 13th NPC for deliberation.

March 5, 2018

Entrusted by the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC, Wang Chen, vice chairman and secretary general of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC, gave an explanation of the draft amendment to the Constitution to the first session of the 13th NPC. NPC deputies conducted a comprehensive and careful deliberation of the draft amendment to the Constitution. Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who attended the first session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, also launched a heated discussion about the draft.

March 11, 2018

The draft amendment to the Constitution was formally adopted at the first session of the 13th NPC.