Chapter IV 

Deputies to the National People's Congress

Article 42 The term of office of the deputies to each National People's Congress shall be five years, beginning with its first session and ending with the first session of the succeeding National People's Congress.

Article 43 Deputies to the National People's Congress must observe the Constitution and the law in an exemplary way, keep state secrets and, in the course of production, other work and the public activities in which they take part, assist in the enforcement of the Constitution and the law.

Article 44 Deputies to the National People's Congress shall maintain close contact with the units that elected them and with the people. They may attend, without voting rights, meetings of the people's congresses of the units that elected them, so as to heed and convey the opinions and demands of the people through various methods, work hard to serve the people, and play their roles in whole-process democracy.

Article 45 The Standing Committee, special committees, and working bodies of the National People’s Congress shall keep in close contact with deputies by heeding their opinions and suggestions, supporting their performance of duties in accordance with the law, expanding their participation in various aspects of work, and giving full play to their representation.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress establishes and improves a mechanism for members of the Standing Committee, special committees, as well as working bodies to keep in contact with deputies.

The working and administrative bodies of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress support deputies in performing their duties by providing services.

Article 46 Suggestions, criticisms and opinions put forward by deputies to the National People's Congress for the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee shall be referred by the working and administrative bodies of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to the relevant organs or organizations for study, handling and answers.

The relevant organs or organizations shall communicate with the deputies to the National People's Congress and fully heed their ideas about the suggestions, criticisms and opinions that they put forward, explain to them the situation thereabout, earnestly study and handle those suggestions, criticisms and opinions, and give responses thereto in a timely manner.

The relevant special committees of the National People's Congress and the working and administrative bodies of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress shall step up their efforts to supervise, urge and inspect the handling of the said suggestions, criticisms and opinions. The working and administrative bodies of the Standing Committee shall report to the Standing Committee on and make public the handling of the suggestions, criticisms and opinions on a yearly basis.

Article 47 While deputies to the National People's Congress attend meetings of the Congress or perform other duties required of them as deputies, the state shall provide them with appropriate allowances and material facilities according to their actual needs.

Article 48 No deputy to the National People's Congress or member of its Standing Committee may be held legally liable for his speeches or votes at various meetings of the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee.

Article 49 No deputy to the National People's Congress may be arrested or placed on criminal trial without the consent of the Presidium of the National People's Congress or, when the National People's Congress is not in session, of its Standing Committee.

If a deputy to the National People's Congress is caught in the act and detained, the public security organ which has detained him shall immediately report the matter to the Presidium or the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress