Today Wen Jiabao will give his last work report. The State of the Union Address with Leninist characteristics.
— Mike Forsythe傅才德 (@PekingMike) 2013年3月4日 [1]
At 9am today, China's 2013 parliamentary sessions [2] kick off as Wen Jiabao presents his final work report as prime minister, ending with a Q&A session with reporters.
During his speech, Wen is expected to focus heavily on economic policy as he sets the stage for his successor Li Keqiang and incoming president Xi Jinping to take over.
Sixteen items are on the agenda for the National People's Congress (NPC) gathering, which wraps up March 17 with a speech from Li and a final Q&A.
The remainder of this week will be spent listening to work reports from the NPC standing committee, the Supreme People's Court and Procuratorate, and passing a new budget and policy direction for the coming year.
Over the weekend, delegates will appoint new heads of banks, courts and other government ministries and bodies. Plans to restructure some central government ministries will also be heard.
Tuesday, March 12, delegates get to relax, and the final stretch of rubberstamping through a long list of various political appointments continues through to March 16.
Map of how many delegates each province/territory has sent to NPC 2013, by @lihuafang [3] twitter.com/lihuafang/stat… [4]
— John Kennedy (@28wordslater) March 5, 2013 [5]
Yesterday, foreign media got to have a little fun as they sat through a Q&A with NPC spokesperson Fu Ying, who revealed remarkably little and broke from tradition by declining to reveal the latest defence budget [6]. Check out some of their tweets [7] below.
Some Chinese finance reporters apparently found it more interesting outside the Great Hall of the People.
Caijing reporters tweeting from (outside) lianghui twitter.com/28wordslater/s… [8]
— John Kennedy (@28wordslater) 2013年3月4日 [9]
Also check out this BBC roundup [10] of SCMP and Chinese media NPC coverage leading up to today.
In comparison to last year's sessions, when Wen Jiabao addressed a dire need for political reforms this time last year, remarks made yesterday by NPC spokeswoman Fu Ying suggest that probably is no longer [11] on the agenda, something lawyers and activists might have noticed in recent weeks [12] as authorities put them under lockdown.
"It is inaccurate and unfair to say that China's style of political reform is not political reform whenever it does not follow in the footsteps of other countries," said Fu, explaining that, in her visits to developed countries with problems more complex than China's, officials are largely spared public calls for reform.
"In fact, the problems they are facing are more difficult in some cases, and yet no one is asking them to change their political system," she said.
Not even a move to scrap [13] re-education through labour?
“The reeducation-through-labor system, to a certain extent, makes citizens live in fear,” Dai Zhongchuan, a delegate and law professor, told a government-run news portal on Monday.
Many analysts, however, say such initiatives are unlikely to be embraced by China’s new leaders, any time soon.
As for the top-level personnel changes, the Wall Street Journal predicts [14] Politburo standing committee member Zhang Gaoli will replace Li Keqiang as executive vice premier, joined by Wang Yang as a subordinate vice premier, and that Politburo member and Organisation Department head Li Yuanchao will replace Xi Jinping as vice president,
Are we going to get any news at all from this NPC press conference?!!!
— Sui-Lee Wee 黄瑞黎 (@suilee) 2013年3月4日 [15]
Fu Ying:foreigners don't understand what reform means.Or anything else for that matter.
— Louisa Lim (@limlouisa) 2013年3月4日 [16]
I never learn from my mistakes. Why am I here at the Great Hall of the People again? #NPC [17]
— malcolmmoore (@MalcolmMoore) 2013年3月4日 [18]
Reporters packed into a smallish room like sardines. Everyone is wondering why they are here.
— malcolmmoore (@MalcolmMoore) 2013年3月4日 [19]
Smarter reporters than me are sneaking out of the hall
— malcolmmoore (@MalcolmMoore) 2013年3月4日 [20]
Wish I was looking at that tiny piglet
— malcolmmoore (@MalcolmMoore) 2013年3月4日 [21]
Fu Ying gives "old friend" Jaime Flor Cruz from CNN the last question. And he says: When will there be political reform? Ouch!
— malcolmmoore (@MalcolmMoore) 2013年3月4日 [22]
No military budget. China finally learning to speak softly while carrying a big stick? #NPC [17]
— Aaron Back (@AaronBack) 2013年3月4日 [23]
Opening NPC presser a total bust but check out the stunning skies over Tiananmen Square. Not photoshopped! twitter.com/PekingMike/sta… [24]
— Mike Forsythe傅才德 (@PekingMike) 2013年3月4日 [25]
Strong view in Beijing that relations w US are deteriorating, no expectation that Xi is cause for optimism on that front. #cyber [26] #japan [27]
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) 2013年3月4日 [28]
Looking forward to what Li Xiaolin will wear at this year's #lianghui [29] #NPC [17] #CPPCC [30] #bringbackthepucci [31]
— Angus Nicholson (@freescania) 2013年3月4日 [32]