<P> In addition, during NPC sessions the Chinese leadership holds press conferences with foreign reporters, and this is one of the few opportunities Western reporters have of asking unscripted questions of the Chinese leadership . </P> <P> A major bill often takes years to draft, and a bill sometimes will not be put before a final vote if there is significant opposition to the measure . An example of this is the Property Law of the People's Republic of China which was withdrawn from the 2006 legislative agenda after objections that the law did not do enough to protect state property . China's laws are usually submitted for approval after at most three reviews at the NPC Standing Committee . However, the debate of the Property Law has spanned nine years, receiving a record seven reviews at the NPC Standing Committee and stirring hot debates across the country . The long - awaited and highly contested Property Law was finally approved at the Fifth Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) on March 16 . Among the 2,889 deputies attending the closing session, 2,799 voted for it, 52 against it, 37 abstained and one didn't vote . </P> <P> The NPC consists of about 3,000 delegates . Delegates to the National People's Congress are elected for five - year terms via a multi-tiered representative electoral system . Delegates are elected by the provincial people's assemblies, who in turn are elected by lower level assemblies, and so on through a series of tiers to the local people's assemblies which are directly elected by the electorate . </P> <P> There is a limit on the number of candidates in proportion to the number of seats available . At the national level, for example, a maximum of 110 candidates are allowed per 100 seats; at the provincial level, this ratio is 120 candidates per 100 seats . This ratio increases for each lower level of people's assemblies, until the lowest level, the village level, has no limit on the number of candidates for each seat . However, the Congress website says "In an indirect election, the number of candidates should exceed the number to be elected by 20% to 50% ." </P>

Who elects the national people's congress in china