Beijing does not want the Russian invasion to overshadow the political event that is important for China. At the meeting beginning on Saturday, the government will also present the new growth target.
Shortly before the start of the annual session of the People’s Congress in Beijing, China avoided comments on the war in Ukraine.
At the annual press conference leading up to the important political meeting, not a word was said about the Russian invasion.
Spokesman Zhang Yesui spoke at the orchestrated event on Friday, among other things, about the government’s “zero corona strategy” and China’s vaccine deliveries around the world. He also went into the relationship with the United States, which should be based on “mutual respect”. Zhang Yesui warned the US against undermining mutual trust and cooperation.
Instead of talking about the war in Ukraine, the spokesman spoke about the current tensions between China and Lithuania when asked by a Russian reporter. Beijing downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Baltic state after it allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under its own name in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Responsibility for problems in relations between the two countries “lies entirely with Lithuania,” said Zhang Yesui.
This year’s session of the People’s Congress will open on Saturday (March 5) and is scheduled to last until March 11. On the opening day, Premier Li Keqiang will present the annual statement of accounts. The new military budget and the growth target for the second largest economy are also to be announced.
All important decisions made in advance
Two weeks before the People’s Congress, provincial plans indicated a target growth rate of between 5.0 and 5.5 percent, Chinese media reported. Last year, “more than six percent” had been specified. However, the economy even grew by 8.1 percent in the previous year due to the low basis for comparison due to the corona pandemic. However, momentum weakened significantly towards the end of the year.
The approximately 3,000 members of the Chinese parliament are not freely elected, but are reassigned every five years by local people’s congresses in the provinces, autonomous regions, cities and the People’s Liberation Army. The People’s Congress, which meets in the Great Hall of the People, approves laws, amends the constitution, confirms the government, adopts the budget and discusses the state of the country.
For many international observers, it is the most important political event of the year in China, providing insights into the country’s future course. However, all important decisions had already been made by a narrow leadership circle of the Communist Party. Parliament has never rejected a proposed proposal.
Source: Stern
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