Why does the National People’s Congress have less practical decision-making power than China’s executive organs?

Although the constitution of the People’s Republic of China formally vests legislative power in the National People’s Congress, it functions in practice as a body that primarily ratifies decisions already made by other entities.1

The National People’s Congress has less practical decision-making power because actual authority resides in the state’s executive organs and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Specifically:1

• Executive Dominance: The State Council, led by the premier, exercises major day-to-day decision-making authority. Its Standing Committee, which consists of fewer than 20 people, monitors and guides the work of vast bureaucratic entities, and its decisions de facto carry the force of law.1
• Party Control: The CCP is the primary policy-making body in China, dominating the country's political life. Power within the party flows from the top down, with the Political Bureau (Politburo) and its Standing Committee serving as the highest echelons of leadership. There is a partial overlap of membership between these top party bodies and the State Council, ensuring that party policy dictates government action.12

Consequently, the National People’s Congress meets only about once a year, serving more to formalize the directives established by the executive and party leadership than to act as an independent legislative force.1