A Closer Look At The Political Discussions Shaping The Everyday Lives Of 1.4 Billion Citizens

The Two Sessions-the annual gathering of Chinas top legislature, the National Peoples Congress NPC and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference-are not just pivotal events in the countrys political calendar. They resonate deeply with ordinary citizens, influencing daily life across the nation.

During the meetings, typically held in early March, discussions surrounding key economic and social policies and other news related to the sessions dominate social media platforms like Weibo. This intersection of high-level policy discussions and grassroots engagement makes the Two Sessions a focal point for understanding contemporary China .

A focus of the Two Sessions is the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by the premier of the State Council to the NPC. It comprehensively reviews the past years achievements and challenges and sets out the governments plans and priorities for the coming year. The report is deliberated and adopted at the annual sessions.

This year, the Two Sessions ran in Beijing from March 4 to 11 .

This years government work report was delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the opening meeting of the Third Session of the 14th NPC on March 5 . The countrys economic performance was mentioned at the top of the report. The report said that in 2024, Chinas GDP rose to 134.9 trillion yuan 18 trillion , a year-on-year increase of 5 percent. This growth can be attributed to a series of macroeconomic measures implemented to counteract economic downturn pressures. As a result, China remains one of the worlds fastest-growing major economies, contributing about 30 percent to global economic growth.