What to expect at two sessions in pivotal year
The annual sessions of China’s top legislature and political advisory body will offer the world a window to observe the country’s development and understand its policy direction for the following year.
The second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top political advisory body, opens on Monday and the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress, the top legislature, will open on Tuesday.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and is a crucial year for the realization of the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). In such a significant year, what issues are especially worthy of attention at the two sessions? Here are some pointers.
Economic goals
At each year’s two sessions, the annual economic development goals of the world’s second-largest economy are among the most anticipated announcements.
The development goals for 2024 are expected to be unveiled in the government work report, which will be deliberated at the NPC’s annual session. The report usually includes the country’s targets for gross domestic product growth, inflation, the ratio of deficit to GDP, employment, and foreign trade and investment, among others.
The Chinese economy rebounded last year, with high-quality development solidly advanced, important progress made in the construction of a modern industrial system, and the foundation for safe development consolidated.
China’s provincial-level regions recently unveiled their growth targets for 2024 in government work reports delivered to local people’s congresses. Their 2024 GDP growth targets vary from 4.5 percent to 8 percent, with the majority expecting to expand their economy by over 5 percent.
“The economic goals should be both in line with our development potential and within an appropriate range, and more importantly, they should give priority to the quality of growth,” said Han Baojiang, a professor at the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) and a national political adviser.
New growth drivers
“New productive forces”, an emerging catchphrase in China’s policymaking, are expected to be a hot topic.
The concept refers to productive forces derived from continuous science and technology breakthroughs and innovation that will drive strategic emerging and future industries.
The Central Economic Work Conference, held late last year to chart economic development in 2024, said China would “promote industrial innovation through technological innovation … to foster new industries, new models and growth drivers, and develop new productive forces”.
“New productive forces are crucial to promote self-reliance in high-level science and technology,” said Yuan Yuyu, NPC deputy and chairman of Medprin Regenerative Medical Technologies Co, adding that his focus at the two sessions will be on how to strengthen original and disruptive innovation.
High-level opening-up
China’s attitude and plans concerning opening-up are closely watched around the world.
At the Central Economic Work Conference, China pledged to expand high-level opening-up and reinforce the stable performance of foreign trade and foreign investment.
A series of recent policy measures sent a clear signal that China is firmly committed to expanding opening-up. For example, the country announced that it will remove all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector, and five new measures are already facilitating the entry of foreign nationals into China for business, education and tourism.
Zhang Junkuo, a national political adviser and former deputy director of the State Council’s Development Research Center, said that amid rising anti-globalization sentiment and intensifying geopolitical tension, “it is particularly important for China to respond to uncertainties in the external environment with its certainty in opening-up”.
Reforms in key areas
Advancing reforms in key areas and crucial sectors will also be a focus of attention for national lawmakers and political advisers.
Accelerating the building of a unified national market is a concern for Jin Li, a national political adviser and vice-president of Southern University of Science and Technology.
“It’s important to break down local protectionism and market segmentation,” Jin said, calling for the accelerated establishment of unified market institutions and rules in areas such as property rights protection and fair competition.
Many are also keen to boost the confidence of private enterprises.
Gao Zicheng, an NPC deputy and president of the All China Lawyers Association, said China needs to further optimize the development environment and stimulate internal driving forces and the innovative vitality of private enterprises.
Whole-process people’s democracy
The two sessions display China’s whole-process people’s democracy in action, as national legislators and political advisers — ranging from farmers to State leaders — gather in Beijing to deliberate on bills or discuss affairs of State.
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the NPC and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the CPPCC.
The people’s congress system is a foundational political system for upholding the unity between leadership by the CPC, the running of the country by the people, and lawbased governance.
The CPPCC is an important organ for multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC. It is a major channel for socialist consultative democracy and a specialist consultative body.