A Guide to China’s Biggest Political Meeting of 2021
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China’s annual parliamentary pageant -- the National People’s Congress -- opens March 5 in Beijing and for the second straight year will be a mostly virtual event because of Covid-19. Absent will be the usual throng of journalists from around the globe mingling with officials running the world’s second-largest economy. One thing that won’t change: Although the NPC is China’s main legislature, the Communist Party ensures that important decisions are made long before any proposals reach the floor. The outlook for the economy will be under discussion at the gathering that lasts 10 to 14 days, as might Hong Kong’s future.