Legal Development and Institutional Innovation of Local People’s Congresses in China (2012–present)

Date & Time: September 19, 2025 (Friday) 13:00-14:00

Venue: Academic Conference Room, 11th Floor, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, The University of Hong Kong (also available via Zoom)

Language: English

(Hybrid event)

Abstract:

Professor 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.

From 2012, China has entered a new era of governance. To strengthen the people’s congress system, the National People’s Congress revised a series of laws including Legislation Law, Supervision Law, Local Organization Law, People’s Deputies Law, etc. Against this background, the congressional institutional reform at local level gained momentum. 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 members, and what influence, if any, do they have on local policy making? Join us as Professor Sun unpacks these and other key questions about China’s local people’s congresses.

Speaker: SUN Ying, Professor, School of Law, Sun Yat-sen University

Chair: Albert Chen, Cheng Chan Lan Yue Professor of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong.

This is a hybrid event for the audience. Prior registration is required. Please visit http://bit.ly/3V4mJNp to register. For inquiries, please email Louisa at .

To watch recordings of past CCL events, please subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Centre for Chinese Law – YouTube. To keep up with our activities, follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/CCLHKU. Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law at The University of Hong Kong promotes legal scholarship with the aim to develop a deeper understanding of China and facilitate dialogue between East and West. For more information, visit: Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law