Xi Jinping cements power
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to emerge as president for a norm-breaking third term at the end of the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, which convenes for eight days of choreographed sessions.
The ceremonial NPC, and China’s top advisory body, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which opened on Saturday, are meeting in the backdrop of a slowing economy and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The nearly 3,000 members of the NPC will also put its stamp on a new line-up of top government officials to be led by a new premier — set to be Xi’s confidante and former Shanghai chief, Li Qiang — for the next five years.
The delegates will also ratify government titles for other officials like vice premiers and heads of different ministries: The decisions would have already been taken in the run-up to the “Two Sessions” — as the meetings are known — and after the 20th Communist Party Congress (CPC), held in October last year.
The meeting is also set to implement plans, according to official new agency, Xinhua, on the “reform of Party and state institutions, a list of proposed candidates for the leading positions of state institutions to be recommended to the first session of the 14th NPC, and a list of proposed candidates for the leadership of the CPPCC National Committee to be recommended to the first session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.”
The NPC will discuss a plan to reform institutions under the State Council, or cabinet, and review draft amendments to the Legislation Law, the new NPC spokesperson, Wang Chao, said at a press conference at the Great Hall of the People on Saturday.
It will also review a series of reports including the outgoing premier — outgoing Premier Li Keqiang — work report, Wang said.
China’s economic outlook for 2023 as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic will be a key area of focus and of global interest.
“We expect Beijing to set this year’s GDP growth target at ‘around 5.5%’, which is the same as last year and close to our forecast for 2023 GDP growth of 5.3%,” brokerage Nomura said in a report.