AS China gears up to hold “Two Sessions” in first week of March 2025, the world is on its toes to figure out connotations of their vibes and influence amid new emerging geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic dynamics.
These political gatherings National People’s Congress (top legislative body) and China People’s Political Consultative Conference (top political advisory body) always draw global eyeball because they design future course of action keeping in view China’s one year performance chart that influence not only China’s own internal grown outlook but also exert effects on global development scenarios.
China’s opening its door wider to world will be imperative topic in two sessions as it will lay bare China’s mindset offering global players to comprehend to what level China will further explore engagement with the international market. Already China completely lifted restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector and, for the first time, established a nationwide negative list management system for cross-border services trade. According to the China Business Climate Survey Report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in China in January, 48 percent of surveyed U.S. companies ranked China as a top-three global investment priority, and furthermore, 53 percent of respondents plan to increase their investments in China by 2025, with nearly 70 percent of consumer sector companies expressing confidence in the Chinese market.
A research report by Deutsche Bank, published in February, also highlighted that 2025 could be a pivotal year for Chinese investment. “We believe that 2025 is the year when the investment community realizes that China is surpassing the rest of the world,” it said. This time two sessions are round the corner at the time when the United Nations (UN) will mark the 80th anniversary of its establishment. In all its 80 years, development has been a crucial aspect of the UN’s work. However, in today’s world, global development is facing many difficulties and challenges. The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has only five years to go, but only 17 percent of the goals are on track to be achieved. And achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires the joint efforts of all nations.
With the result-oriented schemes designed by brainy leadership of NPC and CPPCC, China has emerged as a vital driver of global development, playing a crucial role in various UN development agendas. With its robust economy and significant contributions to global economic growth, China has lifted about 800 million people out of extreme poverty since the late 1970s, surpassing the UN’s 2030 poverty reduction target ahead of schedule. Approaching political gatherings hold high-octane significance because it will help the world understand how China will continue to keep poverty at bay.
A key component of this poverty strategy is a dynamic monitoring and assistance mechanism for those at risk of returning to poverty, including households that have recently escaped poverty and those on the brink of falling back into poverty. This system features regular checks and dynamic management to ensure early detection, intervention and support. All 832 poverty-stricken counties that were removed from the poverty list in 2020 have cultivated two to three leading industries, with a total output value exceeding 1.7 trillion Yuan ($230 billion). By enhancing the quality and efficiency of these industries, a stable income source is ensured for those lifted out of poverty. As of the end of 2024, the number of employed people from poverty-stricken areas reached 33.05 million, maintaining a stable level above 30 million for four consecutive years.
In this regard international community has enthused into upcoming two sessions to get the bottom of another mega plan titled “No. 1 central document” for 2025 issued few days back which aims to prevent lapse and relapse into poverty, as well as creating a categorized assistance system for low-income residents and underdeveloped regions in rural areas. The world is always very keen to promote democratic. Hence, mechanics and dynamics of China’s consultative and whole democracy to be taken stock of in upcoming “two sessions NPC and CPPCC” draws immense attention to the international community.
In 2024, the CPPCC advanced China’s modernization through 85 events, including special consultation sessions, bi-weekly meetings, and expert discussions on diverse issues. A notable example is Jiang Ming, an agricultural expert, who proposed developing high-standard farmlands, a plan that received positive responses from relevant ministries in 2023. In 2024, he continued advocating for black soil protection and utilization. These proposals, alongside consultative meetings, research, and field studies, demonstrate the CPPCC’s collective effort to address the aspirations of the people and improve their lives, reflecting its vital role in shaping national development.
The conclusion of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) marks a key moment in its modernization journey. CPPCC members are focused on ensuring that people’s voices and aspirations are reflected in the national development strategy. China’s democracy operates through formal processes at various levels, culminating in the NPC, the highest state authority. Deputies represent all regions, ethnic groups, sectors, and social groups across China. The concept of democracy draws from the CPC’s revolutionary practices, such as “bean voting” used in the 1940s to engage illiterate farmers in elections. This method allowed villagers to vote by placing beans in a bowl behind their chosen candidate, ensuring broad participation.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
(yaseerkhan@hotmail.com)
