According to the decision drafted on the basis of the Constitution and related laws, the total number of deputies to the10th NPC should not exceed 3,000 and their election is required tube completed before the end of January 2003.

The number of deputies electable to the Tenth National People Congress by various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities will be one for every 960,000 people in rural areas, one for every 240,000 people in cities and no less than 15 for provinces and autonomous regions with an extremely small population.

The number of deputies electable by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to the Tenth National People's Congress is 36 and that by Macao Special Administrative Region is 12.

The way of election is to be determined by the National People's Congress according to the electoral law.

Representing Taiwan will be 13 deputies for the time being, to be elected from among Taiwan-born people in various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities and in the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the remaining number of deputies electable will be reserved.

The number of deputies electable by the Chinese People's Liberation Army is 265.

The proportion of deputies representing minorities should be about 12 percent of the total number of deputies, with at least one deputy for a minority nationality that has an extremely small population.

According to the draft decision, there should be 35 deputies representing returned overseas Chinese and the proportion of women deputies should be higher than that of the Ninth National People's Congress.

The decision also says that the NPC Standing Committee will reserve some numbers to be allocated to related provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities for areas and nationalities with the smallest number of people and areas with a big concentration of representation of all quarters, which should also have their representation in the National People's Congress.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2002)