China’s ‘two-sessions’ a reassuring event for global development

China’s People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, the country’s top political advisory body, opened its annual session in Beijing on Monday. President Xi Jinping Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the opening meeting of the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, which was held at the Great Hall of the People.

The ongoing "two sessions, also known as ‘Langhui’, is the annual gathering of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the CPPCC. It offers observers a window into the idea and practice of whole-process people's democracy, which has become a buzzword in China's political arena over the past years.

The national legislators and political advisers bring with them people's expectations for a better life as well as issues of public concern, so that the public will of the 1.4 billion people is incorporated into the top-level design of national development.

They engage in in-depth deliberations and heated discussions, focusing on a wide range of topics such as economy, income distribution, education, medical care, housing, elderly care, and child care. During the weeklong event, almost 3,000 NPC deputies and around 2,000 members of the CPPCC National Committee perform their duties including the deliberation of various legislative items and the review and discussion of a series of work reports, in a bid to garner the common ground and convergence of interests of the Chinese people.

According to an online survey conducted by China’s People's Daily Online involving more than 6.15 million internet users, revealed that the rule of law, employment, healthcare, rural vitalization, and high-quality development rank as the leading issues of public interest for Chinese netizens during this year's two sessions.

Speaking during the meeting, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee Wang Huning said the Conference had given full play to the role of the united front and promoted harmony in relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religious sectors, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad.

He said the CPPCC must leverage its role as a specialized consultative body, closely aligning with the major decisions of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the strategic needs of the nation, and addressing significant practical issues in development, providing counsel and suggestions.

The ‘two Sessions’ have become a barometer through which the world measures its resilience to withstand the daunting social, economic and political challenges. Moreover, with the fortunes of the West dwindling and developing countries assert themselves in the global scheme of things, China has become the most viable point of geopolitical reference.

The two sessions, so called because they combine two of the top political meetings, attract global attention for the wide range of issues that are discussed. The assembly also acts as a reporting forum from all the 22 provinces.

It is a time of self-auditing progress made since the last two sessions by taking an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by the country in its unrelenting progress. With that comes the soul searching of what went wrong and why, those responsible for the shortcomings and what remedies need to be applied to rectify the anomalies.

As the meeting progresses, the world will be looking for a few critical pointers that could either raise or dampen the spirits of China’s allies. For Africa, the two sessions are significant in the promise they hold for added impetus in the two partners’ cooperation.

China has invested heavily in Africa’s infrastructural development and it is gratifying to note that these have already been restarted in full throttle after the pandemic-imposed lull in 2020.

Indeed, the real focus by the West will be on the political standpoints that will emanate from the meeting, which they could use as a barometer of the country’s current strength.

The US will study closely any emerging philosophies by China’s political class as a way of creating counter narratives in the former’s mantra that seeks a world with a shared destiny for mankind through win-win outcomes. 

Even as there are differing views, no one doubts China’s resolve to transform the socio-economic status of its people to greater heights. The fight and ultimate victory against extreme poverty in record time shows the future possibilities that the country can explore.

Moreover, such a ‘miracle’ could not have been achieved without the resolute and visionary leadership offered by the CPC. The two sessions offer a glimpse of the future both for China and the world.

Ultimately, should delve into frontline experiences, understand the desires and demands of the people, the CPPCC aims at identifying the difficulties and bottlenecks in policy implementation and enhancing the foresight and precision of policy recommendations.

Stephen Ndegwa is the Executive Director of South-South Dialogues, a Nairobi-based communications development think tank, and a PhD student at the United States International University-Africa