An image of Xi Jinping was played on a screen during Premier Li Keqiang’s speech at the opening session of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, China, March 5, 2023. THOMAS PETER / Portal
The opening of the annual session of China’s parliament, a highly ritualized moment in Beijing’s political life, hardly lends itself to expressing sentiment. However, this Sunday, March 5th, was an important date. Premier Li Keqiang, who has been in office since March 2013, did not present any activity report. At the same time, he said goodbye to the 2,848 delegates present in the huge hall of the People’s Palace on Tiananmen Square.
In a few days, Xi Jinping will be re-appointed president of the republic, but he will have a new prime minister at his side, Li Qiang, secretary of the Shanghai Communist Party until last October. A man Xi chose when Li Keqiang was imposed on him by his predecessors.
Signs of tensions between Xi and Li: Chinese media ignored Li’s emotional farewell to government teams in the days leading up to his departure. Similarly, during the outgoing prime minister’s speech on Sunday, Xi Jinping repeatedly held discussions with his neighbor Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Li Keqiang kept it short and reserved. No doubt he knew in advance that he would not receive a warm round of applause because it would have been badly perceived by Xi, and indeed, like him, the delegates did the minimum.
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It therefore took the Prime Minister just 50 minutes to review 2022 and set out the priorities for 2023. Some numbers catch the eye. For 2023, the government is counting on growth of “approx. 5%”. A particularly modest prognosis. For 2022, the government had bet on growth of “around 5.5%”. It was only 3.2% in 2022, while according to the International Monetary Fund it could be 5.2% this year.
A rather bleak picture of the coming months
Inflation, which was just 2% in 2022 – thanks in large part to the massive use of coal for power generation, Li conceded – should be 3% this year. Military spending in particular will increase by 7.2% to 1,555 billion yuan (about 211 billion euros). Although the Chinese defense budget remains significantly lower than that of the USA (766 billion euros), the increase is symbolically larger than that of 2022 (7.1%).
While he didn’t mention the United States, Russia, or the war in Ukraine, Li Keqiang, like every year, dedicated a few sentences to Taiwan. “We will work for the reunification of the motherland, promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, and advance the process of peaceful reunification of the motherland.” Unlike in 2022, he did not denounce “secessionist activities” or “outside interference.”
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