What does the NPC have the authority to declare and end?

The National People's Congress (NPC) in China has the authority to declare and end war. This is specifically outlined in the Chinese Constitution, which assigns the power to declare war to the NPC as the highest state organ and the legislative body of the country. The NPC's role includes making important decisions that affect national sovereignty and security, including the dire implications of war or peace.

This authority is crucial in the context of China's governance structure, where the Communist Party maintains a significant influence over state affairs. Because the NPC is largely considered a rubber-stamp legislature, the actual decision-making processes regarding war are often driven by the leadership of the Communist Party; however, the formal declaration of war remains a power vested in the NPC.

Economic reforms, major social policies, and international treaties are indeed significant areas of governance, but they typically involve either executive decisions made by the state council or the Communist Party, or they are managed through different legislative processes and frameworks. These aspects do not require an official declaration in the same manner as war does, which is why the authority to declare and end war is a distinct and critical power of the NPC.