Advertisement
Global Impact: what’s expected from China’s ‘two sessions’?
- Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world
- In this edition, we look ahead as Beijing’s elite gather in Beijing for the annual sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the National People’s Congress
Reading Time:5 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Jun Maiin Beijing
Global Impact is a weekly curated newsletter featuring a news topic originating in China with a significant macro impact for our newsreaders around the world. Sign up now!
Advertisement
China’s “two sessions”, which kick off Saturday, will mark the end of a twice-a-decade reshuffle of the country’s most powerful jobs, after President Xi Jinping’s sweeping victory at the 20th party congress in October.
The annual sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – China’s top political advisory body – and the National People’s Congress – China’s legislature – will confirm a range of top jobs, including a new premier, four new vice-premiers, a few state councillors, as well as its top judge and prosecutor.
The event will be closely watched as it comes at a time when China is pivoting its strategy back to stimulating economic growth after shaking off a chaotic three years under the zero-Covid policy, and as it is now facing diplomatic headwinds from Washington and other Western capitals.
Experts expect Beijing to return to normalisation on multiple policy fronts and to refocus on its long-term goals, including technological self-reliance.
Advertisement
Those plans will be unveiled in the government work report delivered by outgoing Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday, his last, coming at the end of his second five-year term.
Advertisement