Eyes And Ears On China's Annual Parliamentary Session

By Samantha Tan Chiew Ting Bernama's correspondent in Beijing Samantha Tan Chiew Ting shares her take on China. This week she delves on China's two key meetings that will evaluate the country's current position and set its future direction. BEIJING, March 9 (Bernama) -- China's two biggest annual meeting, namely the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), from 5-16 March is being watched closely both domestically and internationally. Known as "lianghui" (two meetings), the meetings held concurrently not only serve as a platform to discuss China's internal issues and policies but also in providing fresh leads on the direction of the world's economy. In a nutshell, both conferences serve as China's report card for 2015 and the plans lined-up for 2016 as well as the tasks under the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). MORE EARS AND EYES ON CHINA'S ANNUAL NPC At the opening ceremony of the meetings last Saturday (March 5), thousands of people flooded the Great Hall of the People at the west end of Tiananmen Square. They came to follow-up on China's current economic situation and get fresh indications on the global economy's direction, as well as the country's plans for further reforms. As China's voice is getting louder on the international stage, even foreigners seem to be interested in following the annual conferences. The more ambitious plans China comes up with, the more promising signals it will send to the world on the opportunities arising from its reforms. Amid a global slowdown, China too has set conservative targets this year with a gross domestic product (GDP) forecast between 6.5-7 per cent. Last year, China achieved the slowest growth in 25 years with a GDP of 6.9 per cent against 7.3 per cent in 2014. With the global economy experiencing profound changes, struggling to recover, and fluctuations in the financial and commodity sectors, China's development too is affected. FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO KEEP HOUSE IN ORDER Therefore, China's focus for this year and the next five years (2016-2020) is on addressing internal issues. It is time that China find ways to keep its house in order after experiencing rapid growth in the past decade. China's tasks for this year is to create more than 10 million new urban jobs, increase personal income in tandem with economic growth, support growth of consumption in elderly care, health, education and training. The government is also committed in spending more on infrastructure namely railways, roads as well as advancing new urbanisation. Under the 13th Five-Year Plan, China aims to double the 2010 GDP and per capita personal income, targets an annual GDP growth of 6.5 percent or more and committed to achieve 60 percent economic growth contributed by science and technology. China would also focus on supply-side structural reforms to improve the quality and efficiency of the supply system and further stimulate market vitality and the creativity of the society. FOREIGN TALENTS, INNOVATION TO LEAPFROG CHINA Although China with a population of 1.3 billion has the ability to sustain its economy, the government realises it needs foreign brains to leapfrog the country and its people. Therefore, China aims to promote innovation-driven development of foreign trade and promote aggressively the Belt and Road Initiative, the brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping. -- BERNAMA