Officials Use Quirky Policy Ideas to Court Influence at China’s Elite Gathering
- Three-day weekends, subsidized weddings on list of proposals
- Many ideas are unlikely to become law, but can have influence
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Thousands of delegates have descended on China’s most important political gathering this week to vie for Beijing’s ear on a slew of unusual proposals, ranging from reinventing the weekend to offering free education as an incentive for parents to have more children.
Many of the quirkier or more high-reaching proposals aren’t likely to become law. Instead, they serve as an opportunity for attendees to go beyond their rubber-stamp duties and offer their own solutions to China’s socioeconomic issues.