China has also taken great steps toward the internationalization of the renminbi by preparing a comprehensive system of international payments which, it is hoped, will come into service before the end of 2015.

The other main topic at this year's NPC session was the design of a legislative framework for the internal reforms to which the current leadership is firmly committed. Here the legislature is entering uncharted territory; a clear distinction between the legislative and the administrative process is a new development. It goes hand in hand with the strict disciplinary procedures now brought into force for officials of national and local government and the Communist Party, and the associated anti-corruption campaign. This will most definitely be an extensive programme and will probably take several years to implement; legislation is an extremely complex matter in any country, let alone one as large and diverse as China.

However, the advantages of a stable and transparent legal system are obvious: it will greatly benefit economic progress and social stability if it is clear to everybody which activities are permitted and which are not.

An important factor here could be the introduction of new laws relating to land tenure for farmers, such as were announced at the NPC session. Now that farming is no longer a wholly state-owned and state-controlled branch of the economy, clarity over ownership and tenure is vital to motivate the farmers who feed China's 1.3 billion people to work productively and efficiently. China's success has been based on never losing sight of the basic task of ensuring people are fed, whatever spectacular financial and technological improvements may be taking place.

And so the picture emerging from this year's legislative session is that, though China's leading role in the world is now solidly established, the nation will need to ensure that its internal structures are sound enough to endure what is likely to be a lengthy period of transition. None of the delegates can be in any doubt about the immense amount of work they now have ahead of them.

The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/timcollard.htm

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