Token Dissent Plummets in China as Comrade Xi's Power Grows
- Votes against key reports at lowest levels in more than decade
- President preaches loyalty ahead of crucial party reshuffle
Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang at the NPC.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s parliament -- never known for its independence -- saw dissenting votes sink to their lowest level in more than a decade as President Xi Jinping demands greater loyalty ahead of a crucial party reshuffle.
Only 14 of the 2,838 lawmakers who turned up Wednesday for the closing session of the National People’s Congress voted against approving the annual report on the government’s performance and targets for the coming year. That compares with the 101 dissenting votes cast in 2013, the final report presented under Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao.