China’s ‘Two Sessions’ is a well-choreographed, key political event convened annually in Beijing. It serves as a crucial platform for validating the national policy direction and developmental plans for the coming year. The decisions and announcements made here not only affect the lives of 1.4 billion Chinese but also have a global impact, thus being closely watched by the international community. During these sessions, the Chinese top leaders and political advisors present their work and also engage with the public through the press conferences.
The convention is termed as ‘Two Sessions’ because the country’s two top political bodies – the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) – hold their separate annual meetings almost concurrently. The CPPCC is an advisory body with little real political influence but does make innovative proposals, generally pertaining to socio-economic issues. Its members include business executives and celebrities – actors and sportspersons. The NPC is the Communist Party’s legislators’ body, the highest authority of the People’s Republic of China (PRC); a ‘rubber stamp’ parliament with around 3,000 members.
The 2025 ‘two sessions’ convention was held from March 4 to 11 in the backdrop of a challenging and complex environment, including the conclusion of the 14th Five-Year Plan this year. The conclave commenced with the CPPCC inaugural meeting on March 4, followed by the NPC’s opening conference a day later. Major issues dealt with during the ‘two sessions’ were economy, technology, defence, social policies and sustainable development initiatives.
Economic strategy. During the opening session of the NPC, Prime Minister Li Qiang delivered the Government Work Report (GWR), and lawmakers reviewed multiple reports, projecting a picture of a stable environment. While the growth target of 5 per cent for the current year appears to be cautiously optimistic, on the fiscal front the government adopted a more proactive approach with its plans to increase the fiscal deficit to around 4 per cent, up by 1 percentage point compared to the previous year.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/chinas-two-sessions-beijing-softens-tone-pushes-for-innovation-to-endure-changing-world-order-13872930.html.
