Lawmakers file out of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday following the close of this year’s National People’s Congress. China’s legislature ended its nine-and-a-half-day annual session after ratifying a slew of government work reports. (Photo: Xinhua)

In addition to passing an anti-secession law, China's legislature closed its nine-and-a-half-day annual session yesterday morning after adopting a state budget and ratifying a slew of government work reports.
The national People's Congress accepted reports on the government's work scope, economic and social development, central and local budgets and the work of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
Delegates earlier approved the resignation of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin from the chairmanship of the state Central Military Commission and elected President Hu Jintao to succeed him.
Following hu's appointment, the legislature added four new members to the commission, giving it 11 members, the most since the early 1990s.
Wu bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said in his closing speech that deputies "highly valued Jiang Zemin's outstanding contributions to the Communist Party of China, the state and the army, as well as the Chinese people."
Deputies also spoke highly of Hu's succession as chairman of the state Central Military Commission - a natural outcome since he already holds the posts of general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of China and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.
"Comrade Hu Jintao's succession as chairman of the state Central Military Commission commends popular support and is conducive to upholding the principle of the Party's absolute leadership over the military, and to the strengthening of the military's modernization," he said.
Deputies unanimously agreed that China, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as general secretary, had scored great achievements over the past year in its reform.
(Xinhua)