With an absolute majority of votes, Mr. Xi Jinping was elected President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China.

Xi Jinping was elected President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission with an absolute majority.

Chinese General Secretary and President Xi Jinping attends the opening session of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2023. Photo: Xinhua.

The Chinese National People's Congress also approved the 2023 State Council Institutional Reform Plan, which includes enhancing the role of the Ministry of Science and Technology and establishing the National Data Bureau...

This is the ninth reorganization of the State Council (Government) since the reform period began. The previous ones took place in 1982, 1988, and every five years thereafter.

This time, the government reform plan changes the functions of about a dozen agencies and creates two new ones. However, the total number of ministries and ministerial-level agencies remains at 26.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will play a greater role in improving the “new-type national system” to achieve technological breakthroughs and strengthen the “macro-management function” related to science and technology.

China will restructure its financial regulatory agencies by establishing a new National Financial Regulatory Authority to oversee the entire financial industry (except securities); establish a national data management agency under the National Development and Reform Commission… to “coordinate and promote the development of basic data systems” and “coordinate the sharing, development and integrated use of data resources.

China will upgrade the National Intellectual Property Administration to a top-level government agency, making it no longer directly under (and currently on par with) the State Administration for Market Regulation.

China has ordered a 5% cut in staffing across all central agencies and reallocation of those positions to “key areas and important work.”

Three agencies, the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health Commission and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, will lose some functions while adding some new ones.

The Reform Plan is just one part of a broader plan to restructure the Chinese Communist Party and state institutions.

The broader plan would create a new body of the Chinese Communist Party called the Central Science and Technology Commission.

In the past, there have been additional Party agencies established to supervise Government agencies, or some Government agencies have been completely transformed into Party agencies.

This morning (March 10), the first session of the 14th National People's Congress of China elected the president, vice president... It is expected that tomorrow morning the National Assembly will elect the prime minister.