Two Sessions

As China takes up more and more of our attention we are learning more about its ways. The Two Sessions is an event in China’s political calendar which warrants such a focus.  Two Sessions is the annual get-together of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). They hold their meetings separately but at the same time.

The Congress is the national legislature whereas the CPPCC is a body that can offer guidance but cannot legislate.   The  CPPCC is more widely representative of the Chinese people.  Since the Communist Party controls both bodies and in effect selects the membership, the Two Sessions (in Chinese, Lianghui) is a stage-managed affair but it is the moment when the Party lays out its agenda for which it requires legislation so it is of interest to us all. Two Sessions 2023 will focus on the Chinese economy and its post-pandemic recovery.