The nature of the power of supervision of the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee is to impose restrictions on other national organs of state power and ensure that the government be run in accordance with the will of the people.

The power of supervision of the NPC and its Standing Committee, as defined by the Constitution, includes supervising the enforcement of the Constitution and laws and supervising the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

To be more specific, the NPC and its Standing Committee supervise the enforcement of the Constitution, while people's congresses and their standing committees at local levels ensure that the Constitution, laws, administrative regulations and decisions by people's congresses and their standing committees at higher levels be abided by and enforced in their respective regions.

Another aspect of the supervisory function of the NPC and its Standing Committee is to see whether or not the work of the State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate accords with the Constitution and laws, whether or not they appropriately implement the principles and policies of the Communist Party of China and the State, whether or not their work accords with the fundamental interests of the people, and whether or not relevant officials do their jobs competently.

The role of supervision also includes examining and approving the national or local economic and social development plan and its implementation at the national or local level; examining and approving the fiscal budget and its implementation at the national or local level; and electing, appointing and dismissing government officials.