How are deputies to the Chinese legislature selected?

The selection of deputies to the Chinese legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), occurs primarily through a process involving lower-level people's congresses. This system reflects the structure of China's political framework, where deputies are elected at various levels of government, including local people's congresses, which then send representatives to the NPC.

Each province, municipality, and autonomous region holds elections for local people's congresses. These elected local representatives are then responsible for electing deputies to the higher-level congresses, such as the NPC. This hierarchical selection process ensures that local concerns are represented at the national level while still adhering to the Communist Party’s oversight and influence within the political system.

The processes outlined in other response options do not apply in the context of China. Direct elections (first option) are not characteristic of the NPC; there is no national referendum (second option) related to deputy selections, and appointments from the president (fourth option) are not standard practice for selecting deputies to the NPC. Thus, the key method of selection hinges on the lower-level people's congresses and their role in this structured approach to representation within the Chinese legislative system.