✶ Calendar
A five-year clock,
set by the Party.
China's political calendar turns on two parallel five-year cycles: the Communist Party's national congress (next in the second half of 2027) and the people's congresses, from the townships up to the NPC (next in March 2028). Hong Kong and Macao run their own election calendars.
Under way now
The 2026 round
of local elections.
A national meeting on 31 Mar 2026 launched the five-yearly election of county and township people's congresses. Provinces set their own timetables. Jiangsu, for example, must elect its new county and township deputies by the end of December 2026 and hold their first sessions by the end of January 2027 (Jiangsu standing committee decision of 31 July 2026).
No national completion date has been published that we could find. The last round ran from the first half of 2021 to the end of June 2022.
- 1.064 billionvoters in the last round (2021–22)
- 2,629,447deputies elected then
- 99.8%of county districts filled on the first ballot (reported)
Village committees are also due for election in 2026, but we found no national start date or deadline. The last round ran from October 2020 and was reported complete on 23 May 2022.
Dated events
What's next
and what's just happened.
- 22 Nov 2026 · in 18 days Hong Kong: Election Committee subsector elections
Voters in 31 contested subsectors choose 723 of the 1,500-member committee that will elect 40 legislators and the next Chief Executive; 259 members were returned unopposed.
[1] - 1 Mar 2027 – 31 May 2027 · expected Hong Kong: Chief Executive election
The Election Committee chooses the Chief Executive for 2027–32; a winner needs more than 750 votes. Polling date not yet announced.
[1] - 5 Mar 2027 – 12 Mar 2027 · expected China: National People's Congress, 5th session
The last annual session of the 14th NPC. The constitution requires one session a year; recent sessions have opened on 5 March. No date announced.
[1] - 1 Jul 2027 – 31 Dec 2027 · expected China: 21st Communist Party Congress
Delegates (2,300 were allotted for the 20th Congress) elect a new Central Committee, which then chooses the Politburo, its Standing Committee and the General Secretary. Set for Beijing in the second half of 2027.
[1] - 5 Mar 2028 – 15 Mar 2028 · expected China: 15th National People's Congress opens
Newly elected deputies choose the President, Vice President and NPC Standing Committee and decide on the Premier for 2028–33. Inferred from the five-year term; no date announced.
[1] - 26 Oct 2026 – 29 Oct 2026 · past Fifth plenum of the 20th Central Committee
Set the 21st Congress for the second half of 2027 and added Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo.
- 5 Mar 2026 – 12 Mar 2026 · past NPC, 4th session of the 14th congress
Adopted the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30).
- 7 Dec 2025 · past Hong Kong Legislative Council election
31.9% turnout in the 20 popularly elected seats.
- 14 Sep 2025 · past Macao Legislative Assembly election
53.35% turnout; six lists shared the 14 directly elected seats.
The cycle
What happens
when.
- Every year · MarchThe "two sessions"
The NPC and the CPPCC meet in Beijing for about a week: development plans and the budget, laws, and in the first year of a term the state leadership (Constitution, Art. 62).
- At least once a yearCentral Committee plenums
The Party's Central Committee meets in plenary session; the 20th has held 5 since 2022 (Party Constitution, Art. 22).
- Every five yearsParty Congress
Delegates elect the Central Committee, which elects the Politburo and General Secretary at its first plenum. Next: second half of 2027.
- Every five yearsCounty and township congresses
The only direct elections on the mainland, run nationwide in one staggered round. The current round began in 2026.
- Every five yearsVillage committees
Villagers elect their committees; the last round (2020–22) ran alongside the county and township round.
- Every five yearsNPC deputies
Elected by the provincial congresses; the election must be complete two months before the term ends (Constitution, Art. 60). Next: before the 15th NPC meets, expected March 2028.