Beijing, Mar 4: China kicked off its annual Parliament season on Friday amid the global turmoil over the Ukraine crisis and the impending leadership overhaul later this year as President Xi Jinping is set to begin an unprecedented third term at the end of his 10-year tenure this year.
China’s annual Parliament season comprising the national legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the advisory body Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) began on Friday.
The CPPCC, which has 2,200 members mostly nominated by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) commenced its session which was attended by President Xi and other leaders.
For over two weeks, the NPC with over 2,800 members often referred to as the rubber-stamp parliament for its routine approval of policies of the CPC, will transact annual legislative work including approving the work report to be submitted by Premier Li Keqiang in which China would outline its annual economic performance and announce new defence outlay besides other economic initiatives to boost the economy which is on a slowdown mode.
The significance of the two sessions this year is that this is the final year of the 2nd five-year tenure of Chinese President Xi.
While all his predecessors retired after two five-year tenures, Xi, 68, is widely expected to continue in power perhaps for life.
His unprecedented third term was expected to be formally conferred by the once-in-a-five-year CPC Congress to be held in the next few months as a key party Plenum meet last year had formally endorsed his continuation.
He is now equated with the Party’s founder Mao Zedong who held reins of power until his death in 1976.
While Xi, who heads the party, the military and Presidency is set to remain in power, the composition of the government was expected to change as most of his associates, including Premier Li, may be replaced under the two-tenure norm.
The two sessions were also being held in the backdrop of Russia’s military action on Ukraine which has created a global political crisis not seen in recent times, testing China’s close ties with Russia.
Beijing is also faced with a major political and trade onslaught from the US, European Union and their allies over a host of issues including human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
The global attention was also fixated on Taiwan, which fears an impending military action from China as the Chinese military ratcheted up tensions by conducting hundreds of air raids into Taiwan’s air defence zone. (PTI)
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