China, or at least the mainland's official media, will be focusing on the annual session of parliament this week.
The National People's Congress convenes on Tuesday, taking its oversized rubber stamp out of the closet once again and putting it to the traditional, ceremonial use.
The parliament, or Renda as it is fondly called in Chinese, is something of a museum piece. Such throwbacks to an earlier era are few and far between these days thanks to the collapse of communist regimes in eastern Europe.
With great fanfare, more than 3,000 delegates from around the country will gather in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, an imposing building that stands beside Tiananmen Square. And as the rubber stamp parliament gathers, so does its ''advisory body'', the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Officials decline to say precisely how long the session will be, revealing only that it will be about two weeks. Considering how little has to be done at these sessions, two weeks out of the year is usually more than enough. The delegates are selected in a closed door process that ensures that most people have no idea who their representatives are. Some members can be identified by their military uniforms or their colourful minority dress worn only for such ceremonial occasions. But for most members of this august body, they can only be identified by the discreet name tags they wear.
The real work of setting China's legislative agenda is in fact conducted by the more senior members of the Communist Party. Since most members of parliament are neither lawyers nor professionals, the actual drafting is done by specialist panels who are not representatives at all. Their handiwork is then given to the standing committee, or senior members of parliament, who then decide whether it is fit for endorsement by the membership at large.
It is unfair to say that it is a gathering that goes unnoticed by most Beijing residents as it does have some impact on their lives. Traffic around the city will grind to a halt as police wave on official motorcades carrying hardworking delegates to their meetings.