China’s two sessions: What will be the focus in 2024?

Published: March 04,2024

By staff writer

China’s 2024 Two Sessions begins today and will last for two days, March 4-5, in Beijing, brings together the country’s National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The delegates discuss critical issues of national concern such as economic development, governance matters, health related issues, environmental protection, agriculture and more. In short, the Two Session examines the state of the nation and sets targets for the coming years. All in all, the “Two sessions” is about inclusive people centered Governance. It should be noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of NPC.

As it happened last year when the world was freshly recovering from the economic disruption by COVID-19 pandemic, this year still the state of the economy is expected to dominate the legislators’ discussions. Since recovering from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s economy has shown resilience and great potential to overcome external shocks, according to government reports. China’s economy recovered steadily in 2023 and achieved 5.2 percent year-on-year growth, registering 126.06 trillion yuan (about 17.7 trillion U.S. dollars).

In 2010, China overtook Japan to become the world’s second largest economic power after the United States in terms of GDP expressed in current dollar terms. China is also the world’s largest manufacturer, sometimes referred to as ‘the world’s factory’. Continued economic reform and opening up has attracted foreign direct investment, while at the same time providing technically skilled labor force and enabling infrastructure. China makes up 28.4% of the total global manufacturing output, with a total value of nearly $4 trillion added to the world economy.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) has given itself a task of leading the Chinese people to realize the second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This goal is set to be realized at the centenary celebration of the founding of the CPC in 2049.

The facts on Chinese economy to be presented during the Two Sessions, will shame politicians and media outlets in the west that have been hyping narratives on “China’s economy collapse theory” with the aim of discouraging foreign investment and tarnishing the image of the country.