Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist, Diplomat, Editor, Analyst, Consultant, Advisor, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG. (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).

The “Two Sessions” is the collective term for the Chinese government's annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which are typically both held every March at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing around the same dates. The Two Sessions last for about ten days. During the Two Sessions, the NPC and the CPPCC hear and discuss reports from the premier, the chief prosecutor, and the President and Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court. During the CPPCC plenary session, it makes amendments to the CPPCC charter, elects a Standing Committee, which handles the regular affairs of the body, and adopts resolutions on National Committee's "major working principles and tasks". During the CPPCC plenary session, it makes amendments to the CPPCC charter, elects a Standing Committee, which handles the regular affairs of the body, and adopts resolutions on National Committee's "major working principles and tasks".

This year the “Two Sessions will be commencing on 5th of March 2024. China’s new Premier Li Qiang will deliver his first government work report on March 5, the opening day of China’s National People’s Congress’ (NPC) annual parliamentary session. Li Qiang’s report will announce the Chinese government’s growth target, deficit projection, and overall direction for economic, social, and foreign policies for 2024. Other documents released at the NPC parliamentary session will reveal China’s development plan and military budget for the year.

The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee met on Thursday to discuss a draft government work report, which will be submitted by the State Council at the top legislature's annual session in March for deliberation.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. It was noted at the meeting that over the past year, in the face of an exceptionally complicated international environment and the arduous tasks of reform, development and maintaining stability, China has achieved a smooth transition in its COVID-19 response and seen economic recovery and growth.

The country has successfully accomplished the whole year's main targets in economic and social development, with steady progress made in pursuing high-quality development and building a modern socialist country in all respects, the meeting added.

It said that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and is a crucial year for the realization of the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

In order to carry out sound government work in 2024, it is necessary to adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, apply the country's new development philosophy on all fronts, accelerate the creation of a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development, the meeting stressed.

Efforts will be made to strengthen the dynamism of the economy, prevent and defuse risks, improve social expectations, consolidate and strengthen the momentum of economic recovery, and improve the people's well-being, the meeting said.

It noted that the proactive fiscal policy should be strengthened appropriately and its effectiveness should be improved, and the prudent monetary policy should be flexible, moderate, precise and effective.

Great efforts should be made to advance the construction of a modern industrial system and accelerate the development of new productive forces, it said. China will steadfastly deepen reforms, expand high-level opening-up, and promote urban-rural integration and coordinated development among different regions.

The meeting said that China will also advance low-carbon development, strengthen and innovate in social governance, and strive to achieve the country's annual economic and social development goals. 

“Two Sessions” is a very important event in Chinese political system and carries high significance. It decides the future trends of Chinese policies, priorities, and direction for developments. Chinese politicians will discuss each and every aspect of internal and external challenges and based on collective wisdom, strategies will be formulated. 

Due to prevailing tense and hostile geopolitics, where China is being countered, contained and resisted its peaceful rise, Chinese leadership have to come up with strategies to overcome all challenges. So this year, the Two Sessions will be even more crucial.

Scholars, Intellectuals, Politicians, and policy makers, from all over the world are focusing on the Two Sessions, and trying to understand the Chinese course of future developments. Friendly nations are concentrating how China’s developments will benefits them and support the rise of China. While the rivals are concentrating their efforts to counter, contain and resist the rose of China. I believe, China is reached a stage of developments, where it cannot be contained, nor countered, even cannot resist the peaceful rise of China. China has surpassed the stage where it can be coerced and pressurized. The only way forward is to cooperate with China and be beneficiary of Chinese rise. 

Pakistan being the closest friend of China, wish all the best and good luck.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)