Annual political gathering kicks off this week in Beijing with the economy, technology and the military high on the agenda
More generals purged as Chinese delegates gather for event
China’s annual Two Sessions meetings begin this week, with thousands of political and community delegates descending on Beijing from across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to ratify legislation, personnel changes and the budget over about two weeks of highly choreographed meetings.
The event is called the Two Sessions because both the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) hold their annual meetings separately, but at the same time. The CPPCC is an advisory body, with little real political influence but often considers some outside-the-box proposals for issues like China’s demographic crisis. Its members include business executives, celebrities and celebrated individuals who previously included the likes of actor Jackie Chan and the basketballer Yao Ming. The 3,000-member NPC is the Chinese Communist party’s legislative body, but is largely a “rubber stamp” parliament, having never rejected a bill put before it.
The meetings include “work report” speeches by the premier, and sometimes – but not always – speeches by the chair of the Communist party, Xi Jinping. Official economic targets are set, military budgets announced, and changes in the ranks of party leadership bodies are confirmed.
