the chinese leader, Xi Jinpingwill promote “intense” and “extensive” government reform at the political gathering beginning this Sunday that will anoint a new generation of authorities close to the leader and solidify his control as he begins his second decade of power.
The National People’s Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament’s approval, is expected to endorse a reform plan that expands the party’s role in the tech industry and the broader private sector, while overhauling financial regulation and national security.
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The changes come at a time of heightened economic uncertainty in China, after years in which restrictive antiCOVID policies had paralyzed the economy and slowed growth to the lowest levels since the 1970s, and foreign hostility is mounting as the BeijingWashington relations deteriorate.
At a party meeting this week, Xi described “headwinds and rough waters” his country is facing, citing obstacles including “falling demand, tight supply and weakening expectations.”
The annual political event is known in China as Lianghui, or Two Sessions the annual meetings of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Chinese Communist Party’s advisory body; and the CNP, the party’s legislature, which has around 3,000 members representing different sectors of society.
At this year’s meetings, officials will announce the biggest leadership change in a decade, as well as a GDP target and measures to restore lost confidence in the Chinese economy.
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new government team
The two sessions, which can last up to two weeks, come after a crucial party convention in October at which Xi broke succession rules to secure a third fiveyear term. At the CNP, which begins Sunday, Xi will be officially named China’s president, in addition to his titles as head of the Communist Party and chief of the armed forces.
Delegates will also confirm the new prime minister, who will be in charge of the State Council, China’s governing body. Li Qiang Xi’s ally and former party secretary in Shanghai who oversaw the imposition of a deeply unpopular lockdown that sparked nationwide protests is expected to replace current Premier Li Keqiang.
Officials will also announce the deputy prime ministers who will report to Li, as well as various ministries, commissions, the central bank and the supreme court, and the attorney general, who heads the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
“The details of what Chinese governance will look like in Xi Jinping’s third term will become much clearer,” said academic Neysun Mahboubi, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Pennsylvania.
focus on economy
Authorities are focused on boosting consumer and investor confidence. As a result of repeated lockdowns, a housing crisis and collapsing domestic demand, China’s economy grew just 3% last year, falling short of its 5.5% target.
On Sunday, outgoing Premier Li Keqiang will deliver a working report in which analysts set a 5% to 6% GDP growth target as leaders seek to build on the postpandemic recovery.
The new form of government will also provide clues as to the direction of the economy. For decades, pragmatic bureaucrats under the prime minister were in charge of the economy, but that changed under Xi, and Li Keqiang ended up being largely sidelined.
“There is concern that this era is coming to an end because Xi Jinping is generally steering the country in one direction and one direction (and) his emphasis on political loyalty and competence,” said Scott Kennedy, an expert on China’s business and Business . at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a summary of the two sessions.
“There are doubts as to whether these new authorities have the capacity and space to act as intelligent and pragmatic stewards of the economy,” he said.
The meeting ends with a press conference convened by the new Premier Li Qiang. Observers are on the lookout for signs of how he will handle his portfolio.
a government reform
This year’s two sessions are expected to unveil institutional reforms that will further consolidate the Communist Party’s control over more areas of decisionmaking. In a speech this week, Xi said “intense” and “comprehensive” reforms would target “crucial industries.” A summary of a meeting of the party’s central committee, which Xi also attended this week, urged officials to recognize the “urgency” of reforming the party and state institutions, and said the reform plan would be presented to the NPC.
“Xi said, ‘I’m going to do all this,'” said Trey McArver, cofounder of the research group Trivium China. “The party will sort it all out.”
Since Xi came to power in 2012, he has orchestrated a reversal of a decadesold policy of greater partygovernment separation implemented in response to Xi’s ideological leadership. Mao Zedongwhich held policymaking hostage to political rivalries.
“This trend has been evident since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012,” said Wang Hsinhsien, a professor of Asian studies at National Chengchi University in Taipei. While details of the reorganization have not yet been announced, Wang sees a reorganization on a similar scale to the big changes in 2018, when party organizations took over powers previously owned by the State Council.
Extending state control to broader areas of decisionmaking while installing loyal allies in command positions could pose risks of its own for Xi, who is still grappling with the fallout from China’s abrupt abandonment of the Covidzero policy.
Everyone sitting at the table is Xi’s people, Wang said. “Who will we blame if things go wrong?” / TRANSLATION BY AUGUSTO CALIL