‘Two sessions’ dates tell world that China is back in business
- All eyes will turn to Beijing to see how meetings are conducted in the ‘new normal’ following the coronavirus outbreak, but before then comes a major public holiday and the need to prevent further infections
The May Day national holiday weekend beginning tomorrow is a test of the mainland’s success in combating the coronavirus. If there was any doubt about confidence that it has been brought under control it has been answered by the announcement of new dates for the “two sessions” – the annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – postponed from the usual date in early March because of the pandemic.
All NPC sessions attract intense global media interest. This one is a landmark event in its own right. Covid-19 has changed and is continuing to change the world with which China is more deeply engaged than ever. There is no question the political fallout, such as scapegoating for the pandemic without regard for China’s leadership in fighting it, has hurt its relations with some other countries.
The NPC session is where Beijing reveals its growth target and key economic agendas, setting domestic and external expectations. What sets this meeting apart is that it will be a pointer, for the nation and the world, to the direction of post-Covid-19 China. That is another dimension to the focus on any major policy shifts and adjustments.
The two sessions would usually see around 3,000 lawmakers gather in Beijing to discuss major laws and regulations, as well as scrutinise work reports and the national budget, plus more than 2,000 political advisers of the CPPCC. A question that remains to be answered, with the coronavirus “under control” but not out of mind, is how to conduct such large meetings. If there is any substance to reports that certain group discussions will be held online, will this become a “new normal” for such conferences in the future?
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on the mainland’s experience over the holiday weekend amid the drive to get the country back to work and school, with one travel agency estimating 90 million trips will be undertaken during the five-day break. The central leading pandemic group headed by Premier Li Keqiang has said that at this time, local governments need to prevent infection clusters, especially in hospitals, and put controls in place to stop the spread of the disease. Given the mass movement of people who have been cooped up for weeks to contain contagion, it is a tall order. How far the mainland rises to it, or falls short, will be a reality check for Hong Kong and other places straining at the leash for a return to business as usual.
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