In line with the Rules of Procedure, the NPC session is held in the first quarter of the year. This facilitates the examination and approval of the state budget for the year and consideration of the report on the implementation of the previous year's budget. The first plenary session of each new NPC is convened by the Standing Committee of the outgoing NPC. The deputies to the new NPC will have been elected less than two months previously.

The annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is normally also held during the first quarter of the year with the CPPCC session opening a couple of days ahead of the NPC session.