The 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s national legislature, opened its third session on Wednesday morning at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders attended the opening meeting.
Premier Li Qiang delivered a Government Work Report at the meeting.
China’s economy maintained overall stable operation with progress in 2024, with the main goals and tasks for its economic and social development successfully accomplished, according to the Government Work Report submitted to the national legislature for deliberation.
The Government Work Report also set key economic targets for this year, including GDP growth of around 5 percent.
Lawmakers reviewed a report from the State Council on the implementation of the 2024 plan for national economic and social development and on the 2025 draft plan, as well as the draft plan for national economic and social development in 2025.
They also reviewed a report from the State Council on the execution of the central and local budgets for 2024 and on the draft central and local budgets for 2025, as well as the draft central and local budgets for 2025.
Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, explained a draft amendment to the Law on Deputies to the National People’s Congress and to the Local People’s Congresses at Various Levels.
Achievements and prospects
Multiple deputies and political advisors shared with the Global Times their thoughts on the Government Work Report which set proactive goals and elaborated on the concrete measures to be instituted.
NPC deputy Tian Xuan, associate dean of Tsinghua University’s PBC School of Finance, told the Global Times in a group interview after the session that the economic objectives reflect the central government’s strong commitment to boosting the economy and employment.
“Employment is considered the most critical aspect of people’s livelihoods,” Tian said, adding that the around 5.5 percent surveyed urban unemployment rate and over 12 million new urban jobs, as set out in the Government Work Report for 2025, demonstrate the government’s high attention to this issue against the backdrop of a record number of college graduates.
Li Baoju, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC who was present at the NPC session, told the Global Times on Wednesday that as an agricultural scientist, he is cheered by the Government Work Report. Among multiple rounds of applause during the delivery of the Government Work Report, one was given when the Premier said that concerted efforts must be made to see that “the country’s food supply remains firmly in our own hands.”
Li Baoju was inspired by the emphasis to enhance the overall caliber of talent, which points the direction to optimize talent cultivation and evaluation to give them full play.
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a Hong Kong deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress, told media that he was “deeply touched” on hearing loud applause for a section in the report mentioning Hong Kong and Macao, as he felt the concern of people from different sectors across the country for the development of Hong Kong and Macao.
NPC deputy Yu Miaojie, president of Liaoning University, told the Global Times at the session that he found the Government Work Report set out steady objectives and specified accurate policy directions and practical measures.
The measures, including those to boost consumption, continue to develop new quality productive forces, as well as prevent and defuse risks, and these are the foundation for China to meet its objectives for 2025, according to Yu.
Yang Xuedong, director of the Department of Political Sciences at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that “through the Government Work Report, we can see attention is not only on the pace of economic growth, but also on livelihood issues, including the real estate market, stock markets and the improvement of social insurance.”
Some new terms in the Government Work Report, such as to foster industries such as “embodied AI” and “intelligent robots,” and support the development of “unicorn and gazelle companies,” have also triggered discussions.
The government’s commitment to the economy aims to keep growth in step with social needs, Yang said.
Confidence despite complex situations
As the Government Work Report said, the achievements in 2024 did not come easily. The adverse impact of changes in the international environment increased, and some deep-seated structural problems that had been building up in the country for years came to a head. Sluggish domestic demand was compounded by weak public expectations along with other issues, and natural disasters like floods occurred frequently in some parts of China. All this added to the difficulty of maintaining economic and social stability.
However, we responded to this array of difficulties and challenges with both active and effective steps: We redoubled efforts to implement adopted policies and improved macro regulation in a timely manner. In particular, we took firm actions to implement a package of new policies that was decided on by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee at a meeting on September 26. This led to a notable rebound in the economy and effectively boosted public confidence, ensuring the fulfillment of the goals for 2024 and laying a good foundation for development in 2025, the Government Work Report said.
As 2025 marks the conclusion year of the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-25), the Government Work Report stated that we will begin formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan this year. We should make an in-depth analysis of new features defining the 15th Five-Year Plan period, set development targets through well-conceived steps, and carry out proper planning for major strategic tasks, policies, measures and projects, so that the Plan will serve as an effective guide for China’s economic and social development.
As one of the most important annual political events, China’s two sessions have been under close watch by the international community. The Global Times noticed that although the Wednesday session opened at 9 am, domestic and foreign media lined up outside the Great Hall of the People as early as around 6:40 am to secure a better seat to listen to the key reports.
It is the third time that Ameen Muneer Mohammed Al-Obaidi, a China Arab TV reporter, has covered China’s two sessions. His impression is that there are more foreign media this year as he saw some organizations he has not seen before.
The two sessions serve as the best platform to understand China. Through observing the interactions of lawmakers and political advisors, how their proposals and suggestions are heard and incorporated (into policies), “I understand how China is never satisfied with its past achievements and keeps improving,” he said.
Since the US’ imposition of additional tariffs has also made headlines in recent days, multiple media outlets pointed to this backdrop to China’s two sessions.
The Helsinki Times said that “China’s Two Sessions set political agenda for 2025 amid global scrutiny.”
Yang said that China’s advantage in its system can be seen in the formulation of the annual Government Work Report and the functioning of the NPC and CPPCC National Committee.
The state, through making plans and setting goals, consistently guides socio-economic development, and in responding to pressing public concern and hot topics, it demonstrates policy flexibility, Yang said. Facing a complex environment with increasing risks, China can still effectively advance its various agendas, showcasing strong capacity to coordinate and mobilize resources for major goals and missions, the expert said.
Li Meng, Suo Yanqi contributed to the story
