China's annual National People's Congress closes after final session

Video Description

(12 Mar 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Beijing, China - 12 March 2026 1. Various exteriors of flags at Tiananmen Square by Great Hall of the People 2. Tracking shot of Chinese President Xi walking into Great Hall of the People 3. Various of officials arriving 4. Xi reading report 5. Various of delegates reading report 6. Xi voting 7. Board showing vote results for the draft resolution on the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, 2758 for, 1 against, 2 abstain 8. Various of Xi and officials voting 9. Board showing vote results for the draft Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, 2756 for, 3 against, 3 abstain 10. Xi and officials applauding 11. Delegates in audience, including some representatives of Chinese ethnic minorities 12. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress: "Formulating and implementing five-year plans is an important governing experience of the Communist Party of China and a key political advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a crucial stage for consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts toward basically realizing socialist modernization. Effectively implementing the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan is of great significance." 13. Tilt down of closing session 14. Various of Xi and officials singing national anthem 15. Xi leaving closing session 16. Delegates leaving 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Rock Chen, deputy of the National People’s Congress from Hong Kong: “The meetings were all very efficient, conducted very smoothly, and then generated good results, so that’s why I said (it is) productive. (It is) exciting because I think that nearly 3,000 deputies, when we saw all the reports, when we saw the 15th five-year plan, we are really, truly excited about the future. And finally, I think the world prosperous describes, you know, the state of the economy we are in. We are improving, making good progresses and we are thriving, that’s why (it is) prosperous.” 18. Delegates waving and leaving after closing 19. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhang Haiou, deputy of the National People’s Congress from Beijing: "This law (the law on ethnic unity) can promote the unity of all ethnic groups and the inheritance of their cultures. I think it is a law that the people have been waiting for, for a long time. I am particularly encouraged and happy that it can be passed at this session." 20. Delegates representing Chinese ethnic minorities posing for photos 21. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Hanengbi Ayisa, deputy of the National People’s Congress from Xinjiang: "Xinjiang is a place where many ethnic minorities live. We attach great importance to the sense of community and national unity of the Chinese nation, and the unity of all ethnic groups is very well maintained. I hope that in the future, all ethnic groups will continue to have closer relationships like a family so as to build our homeland well, and guard our borders well." Reporter (Mandarin): "So will you vote for the law?" Hanengbi Ayisa (Mandarin): "I am 100% supportive of the law. Long live the unity." 22. Various exteriors of Great Hall of the People STORYLINE: China closed its annual National People's Congress on Thursday with a final session in Beijing, overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping. A law that promotes what it calls "ethnic unity," was also approved, a measure that critics say would further erode the rights of some minority groups as authorities cement a push toward assimilation. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9c6a8e0be2ae4ce0ba9289e9a95eb568