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Once a year, almost 3,000 delegates in China meet at the National People’s Congress in Beijing. The event is one of the most important political events in China. Although the delegates only waved the proposals through with a few dissenting votes, the program shows where the Communist Party wants to steer the country. China correspondent Lukas Messmer was at the opening and felt the pulse of the Chinese government.
Which topics are important this year?
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As every year, the centerpiece is the work report from Prime Minister Li Qiang. He read it out to the assembled delegates and to President Xi Jinping. In it, the government sets the growth target for the Chinese economy. Several new laws are also on the agenda, including a law on “ethnic unity,” which experts say could serve to repress ethnic minorities. The 15th Five-Year Plan will also be adopted during the People’s Congress.
What can the delegates actually decide?
Theoretically, votes take place, but in practice there are only a few votes against or abstentions. The Assembly approved the Prime Minister’s work report from last year with 2,882 votes in favour, one no and one abstention. This is common. Since Xi Jinping came to power, there has been no more dissonance in the National People’s Congress. Delegates vote according to the official stance of the Communist Party.
The attitude of Xi Jinping and his party sets the tone.
EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
How is the Chinese economy doing?
The government has set the growth target for this year at 4.5 to 5 percent. This is the lowest value in 35 years. China is struggling with youth unemployment, weak consumption and a burst real estate bubble. The government is fully committed to future technologies and the delegates are also very confident in interviews with the press that robots and artificial intelligence will stimulate growth in the future. China wants to invest more in research and thus repeat the global success of the electric car sector. The motto: quality instead of quantity.
How does the war in the Middle East influence the event?
There was hardly any sign of the war in the Middle East at the opening in Beijing. In his work report, Li Qiang referred to the global situation and how much pressure China was coming under as a result. Multilateralism and free trade are in danger, he told the assembled delegates. In next year’s budget, spending on the army has increased by seven percent.
How relevant is the National People’s Congress to the rest of the world?
The People’s Congress is a choreographed event from start to finish, with prepared speeches and already known results. Nevertheless, the event is interesting because it provides a rare insight into the thinking of Chinese politicians. In the past, changes in government direction often first came to the surface at the People’s Congress. It is a political show that does not do politics, but rather presents the politics that have already been made to the public.
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