Beijing \u2013 China began its annual meeting known as the \u201cTwo Sessions\u201d\non Wednesday, 4 March. This year\u2019s important political meeting has\nattracted significant attention as it will discuss a new development\ndirection for the world\u2019s second-largest economy.<\/p>\n
More than 2,000 political advisers attended the opening of the fourth\nsession of the National Committee of the Chinese People\u2019s Political\nConsultative Conference (CPPCC) of the 14th term. This body serves as\nthe nation\u2019s highest political advisory institution.<\/p>\n
Wang Huning, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, delivered a\nreport on the performance of the CPPCC Standing Committee before\nPresident Xi Jinping and other party and state leaders at the Great Hall\nof the People in Beijing, China\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n
In his report, Wang noted that China had achieved substantial\nprogress in its national modernisation process. He stated that the\ncountry had successfully met various major targets for economic and\nsocial development set for 2025, whilst completing the 14th Five-Year\nPlan (2021-2025).<\/p>\n
Wang called on political advisers to consistently gather public\nsupport, build broader consensus, and mobilise collective ideas and\nstrength in 2026 to ensure a good start for implementing the 15th\nFive-Year Plan.<\/p>\n
The CPPCC plays an important role in the multi-party cooperation\nmechanism and political consultation system under the leadership of the\nCommunist Party of China (CPC). Its members come from diverse\nbackgrounds, including political parties, civic organisations,\nindependent figures, and various professional sectors such as\nscientists, entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers, and lawyers.<\/p>\n
The CPPCC session is scheduled to run until 11 March. Meanwhile, the\nsession of China\u2019s highest legislative body, the National People\u2019s\nCongress (NPC), began on Thursday, 5 March.<\/p>\n
Collectively, these two meetings are known as the \u201cTwo Sessions\u201d.\nThis annual agenda is widely regarded as an important window for\nunderstanding China\u2019s political dynamics, governance system, and future\npolicy direction.<\/p>\n
Over the coming week, political advisers will conduct intensive\ndiscussions on the draft 15th Five-Year Plan and present various\nproposals based on their respective expertise. This consultative process\nhas proven effective: in 2021, when China completed the 14th Five-Year\nPlan and long-term development targets through 2035, input from\nparliamentary members and political advisers resulted in 55 revisions to\nthe final document.<\/p>\n
Nan Cunhui, a national political adviser and chairman of an\nintelligent energy solutions company, stated that the process goes\nbeyond merely improving policy details. \u201cIt is also an opportunity to\nbuild consensus, unite strength, and motivate all parties to achieve the\ngoals of the next five-year plan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Each meeting typically focuses on key indicators such as gross\ndomestic product (GDP) targets, defence budget, and foreign policy\nsignals. However, this year\u2019s greatest attention is focused on\nformulating the 15th Five-Year Plan. Parliamentary members will discuss\nthe draft plan over the coming days. Once adopted, the document will\nguide China\u2019s development through the end of this decade.<\/p>\n
The plan is also expected to accelerate China\u2019s progress towards its\nlong-term goal of becoming an advanced modern socialist nation across\nvarious fields by mid-21st century.<\/p>\n
Geostrategist Imran Khalid, in an opinion article published in\nEurasia Review on 28 February, stated that the 2026 \u201cTwo Sessions\u201d\nagenda has the potential to become a turning point for the direction of\nthe global economy. According to him, China\u2019s new development plan could\ndrive a shift towards a more advanced economic future based on\ntechnology and domestic consumption, with broad, even global,\nimpacts.<\/p>\n
Beyond discussing economic direction, the legislative agenda during\nthis political season also includes discussions on several draft laws,\nincluding an environmental code, draft law on ethnic unity and\nadvancement, and a national development planning bill. The environmental\ncode discussion is considered relevant as China approaches its target to\npeak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.<\/p>\n
The formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan continues the tradition of\nnational development planning that has characterised China since the\nearly 1950s. Analysts view the five-yearly planning cycle as helping the\ngovernment allocate resources more strategically and maintain continuity\nin development policy. With this approach, development direction can\nproceed incrementally and remain relatively stable, rather than\nexperiencing drastic policy shifts.<\/p>\n
Wu Fenggang, a national political adviser and industrial economist\nfrom the Jiangxi Institute of Socialism, stated that the new plan has a\nstrong foundation built during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. \u201cMajor\nachievements, such as renewable energy development, give us confidence\nto move to the next stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In 2025, China\u2019s GDP exceeded 140 trillion yuan (1 yuan = \u00a30.10\napproximately). Various other development indicators, such as labour\nproductivity, urbanisation rate, average life expectancy, and national\nresearch and development spending, have also reportedly met or exceeded\ntargets.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, China is expected to face several challenges. From an\nexternal perspective, geopolitical tensions, increased protectionism,\nand global economic slowdown could all potentially affect the country\u2019s\ngrowth. Internally, China also faces various issues including demand\npressures.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/china-highlights-15th-five-year-plan-at-annual-two-sessions-meeting-1773034598", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }