All eyes on China
- By Corrie Dosh
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E-mail Beijing Review, March 14, 2016
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The Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the Two Sessions (WEI YAO/BEIJING REVIEW) |
Once a year, close to 3,000 deputies, ranging from officials to executives, convene in Beijing in early March to assess and make plans for China's overall development.
The annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, is still a bit mysterious to most Americans. While many Chinese follow the U.S. election cycle and top political meetings closely, Americans are typically shortsighted on foreign affairs.
Still, some outcomes of the legislative meetings have made their way into U.S. headlines. Social issues are at the forefront, including environmental protection efforts. China's Environment Minister Chen Jining told reporters that "emissions are still too high." Chen stated that 20,000 plants were shut down last year as a result of environmental violations and $654 million in fines were collected, up 34 percent from the previous year.
"We used to think development was all about GDP, but we can't go down that road anymore," Chen said. "The environment is about people's livelihood. Protecting the environment also protects productivity."
"Real progress" is being made, writes Nicholas Consonery for Fortune, in that the government's overall expenditure on social security and welfare increased 17 percent in 2015 year over year, and spending on energy saving and environmental protection increased 26 percent.
Domestic economic issues are also of interest to American media in how they relate to American exports and imports. Time magazine in its coverage of the NPC meetings pointed to concerns over overcapacity at Chinese factories that "make a lot of things that people no longer want." It's bad news for nations that supply China's economic engine with resources. Time magazine noted an announcement that the Chinese Government would lay off 1.8 million workers at state-owned steel and coal industries.
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