China’s parliament has been in session since the weekend. Cryptic party rhetoric dominates the officials’ speeches for long stretches. Observers are looking for secret messages and hidden symbols all the more eagerly – for example in the tea ceremony with which the event begins.
The day starts cloudy, a gray veil of smog hangs over Tiananmen Square, the particulate matter values have exceeded the 200 mark on this March morning. Barriers cordon off Beijing’s central square, there is a yawning desertion around the Mao Tsetung mausoleum, and car traffic has also been diverted. Only a few seemingly lost police officers patrol Tiananmen Square, on the west side of which, in the Great Hall of the People, the National People’s Congress has been meeting since this weekend – unmolested by the people.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
