Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) (常务委员会) is a committee of about 500 members of the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by the NPC.
The NPCSC also has judicial functions, in that it has the power to interpret laws of the PRC. A notable use of the latter power occurred in 1999 during the dispute of the Right of Abode issue in the Hong KongSpecial Administrative Region. In the case, the NPCSC interpreted the Basic Law of Hong Kong in accordance with the position taken by the Hong Kong government with respect to the eligibility of permanent residency in Hong Kong.
