China's annual legislature endorses government work plan, closes uneventful annual session

A Chinese military band member rehearses before the closing session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Sunday, March 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (The Associated Press)

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Chinese military band members wait to rehearse before the closing session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Sunday, March 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (The Associated Press)

Chinese military band members rehearse before the closing session of the annual National People's Congress in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Sunday, March 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) (The Associated Press)

BEIJING – China's national legislature has endorsed government plans to reduce the country's annual economic growth target from 7.5 to 7 percent before closing an annual session that also focused on maintaining employment levels, fighting corruption and curbing pollution.

The National People's Congress voted 2,852-to-18 in favor of the government work report that was delivered at the start of the 11-day session by Premier Li Keqiang. The premier was to hold his only scheduled news conference of the year later Sunday.

During the annual session that closed Sunday morning, the congress approved a single piece of legislation in the form of amendments intended to modernize and update China's legislative law that acts as a sort of mini-constitution governing how laws are enacted.