Beijing: As China’s annual parliamentary sessions came to a conclusion on Monday, the country’s premier did not hold a press conference—a first in many years.
An official declaration last week stated that, breaking with precedent, the premier will not be holding a press conference after this year’s parliamentary sessions—at least not for the remainder of the term.
These press briefings represented a unique opportunity for the media to engage with China’s top political authorities.
During the closing ceremony, President Xi Jinping remained silent. The only times he usually speaks are during the inaugural session of the National People’s Congress, which is the nation’s highest body and is chosen every five years. This year marks the 14th National People’s Congress’s second session.
To be clear, the top leadership’s yearly meeting is usually ceremonial in nature. The actual power is held by the Communist Party in power, which is led by Xi, the president of China, as well as the party’s general secretary.
Nonetheless, declarations made in Congress might provide some insight into governmental strategy.
The announcements made during this year’s week-long parliamentary meeting, which began on Tuesday and concluded on Monday, are summarized here.
surroundings
In a study released on Sunday, Citi analysts noted that “the Government Work Report (GWR) explicitly pledged to lower energy consumption per unit of GDP by around -2.5% in 2024, along with the extensive discussions on environmental protection.”
The analysts stated that because the -3.0% target and “campaign-style” execution caused the power interruptions in 2021, the report “didn’t set such numeric targets in 2022–2023.”
However, they issued a warning, saying that investors “need to be mindful of the growth risks arising again from the potential tightening of environmental policies.”