China and U.S. Agree to Hold Dialogue in Beijing: NPC Update
- Annual two-week session of legislature opens Monday in Beijing
- Lawmakers expected to grant President Xi unlimited tenure
Delegates attend the opening of the first session of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 3.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergChina’s Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, held a press conference Sunday, a day before the opening session of the annual legislative meetings. During the two-week session, the rubber-stamp parliament is expected to enact sweeping changes that would allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely and give him greater control over the levers of money and power. The agenda also includes creation of a powerful new agency to police officials and possibly approving the biggest regulatory overhaul of the $43 trillion finance-and-insurance sector in 15 years.
On Saturday, delegates from the top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress, opened their sessions, which runs concurrently with the NPC.