According to the Organic Law of the National People's Congress, the deputies to the NPC form delegations according to the electoral units of the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, special administrative regions and the armed services. Each delegation elects a head and a deputy head.

Prior to 1997, the deputies to the NPC were arranged in 32 delegations. Of these 31 were at provincial level and with one for the People's Liberation Army.

However in June 1997, Chongqing became the fourth municipality directly under the central government. Then on July 1, 1997 the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was officially established. So the number of delegations was increased to 34 for the Ninth National People's Congress.

The Macao Special Administrative Region was officially founded on December 20, 1999 and its deputies then began to attend the Ninth NPC sessions as an independent delegation. As a result, a total of 35 delegations were present by the time of the Third Plenary Session of the Ninth NPC.

Each deputy is attached to the local branch of the delegation from where elected but can transfer to another if later assigned to a post in another region.

The responsibilities of a delegation to the National People's Congress are to:

• participate in the necessary preparations for the NPC including electing a delegation head and deputy head and reviewing the draft candidate list for membership of the Presidium and for the post of Secretary-General together with the draft agenda and other preliminary matters for the session of the NPC;

• consider the reports made by the NPC Standing Committee, the government, the Plan for National Economic and Social Development together with its report on implementation, the State Budget and its report on implementation, the reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate together with the bills and proposals on the NPC agenda;

• discuss and comment on the choice of candidates nominated by the Presidium for the leadership of the organs of state power together with those for the leadership roles in government and in the court and procuratorate systems;

• propose bills, put up inquiries, make calls for dismissal or propose the establishment of a committee for the investigation of a special issue (all requiring the approval of a simple majority of the deputies of the delegation).

Delegation meetings represent the major forum at which the bills and reports of the NPC session are considered. The larger delegations hold both group and plenary meetings while the smaller delegations hold plenary meetings only.

Each NPC delegation has the right to propose bills on any matter within the jurisdiction of the NPC. A delegation may also make written inquiries concerning the State Council and its ministries and commissions

More than three delegations may jointly put forward proposals for the dismissal of members of the NPC Standing Committee, the President or Vice President of the state, members of the State Council or the Central Military Commission, the President of the Supreme People's Court or the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. Such proposals would then be submitted by the Presidium to the NPC session for deliberation.

Also when the NPC is in session, the Presidium or a meeting present with the delegation heads has the right to decide whether to hold secret meetings in addition to open meetings.