Over 2,000 delegates gather for CPPCC annual meeting

World Today

Over 2,000 delegates gather for CPPCC annual meeting

China’s annual political season, known as the “Two Sessions”, has officially begun. The top political advisory body, the CPPCC, opened its first session in Beijing.

Over the next two weeks, thousands of advisors, and an even greater number of legislative deputies, will consider: the election of state leaders, a revision of the constitution, and also structural reforms. CGTN’s Wu Guoxiu is in Beijing with more on opening day.

At the CPPCC opening session, Chairman Yu Zhengsheng delivered a work report on the committee’s achievements last year. The report said the people’s interest and well-being should be at the center of the CPPCC’s work.

It also stressed the importance of sticking to opening-up policies and establishing good relations with other countries and international organizations. “We should serve the diplomacy of the country, practically improve the high-level exchanges, promote the Belt and Road Initiative and the cooperation in strategic connection,” said the chairman.

An area with a hundred-meter long red carpet is called the ‘Delegates’ Corridor’. Members are invited to speak to the media there, a new feature for the Two Sessions. 11 CPPCC members — including China’s first space traveler, medical and agricultural officials, a member of the Winter Olympic Committee, and an actress — had already answered journalists’ questions as they walked to the session’s opening meeting.

Chairman Yu said advisers last year handed in 29,000 proposals, of which 24,000 pieces were registered and over 99 percent were handled. Many see this year’s Two Sessions as a chance to deepen policies in order to better adapt to a new era.


Perry Wong on the start of China’s Two Sessions

To discuss more on the opening of the Two Sessions, CGTN’s Susan Roberts talked with Perry Wong. He’s the Managing Director of Research at the Milken Institute, an economic think-tank.