BEIJING- Many people across the world are keeping their eyes glued to the upcoming annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body.

Known as the Two Sessions, the country’s annual parliamentary gathering starts on Tuesday with the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). It will be followed by the meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Wednesday.

The NPC is the highest organ of state power of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The structure of the CPPCC is designed to promote collaboration among multiple parties and to enable political consultation, all under the guidance of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The Two Sessions covers a wide range of topics concerning China’s domestic affairs and foreign policies.

According to China Daily, NPC deputies submit motions on various issues including people’s livelihood, tax cut for companies and environmental protection while CPPCC National Committee members offer proposals to participate in the deliberation and administration of state affairs.

The Government Work Report sits high on the agenda of the Two Sessions, known as Lianghui in China. It will review the achievements made in 2024 and reveal the government’s goals and priorities in terms of socioeconomic development for 2025.

This year’s Two Sessions would coincide with US President Donald Trump’s speech at a joint session of Congress on March 4. He has threatened to ramp up tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump has said that the US will impose an additional 10% duty on Chinese imports on March 4. The new tariffs would be on top of the 10% further tariffs that he levied on China in early February.

China has vowed retaliation, asserting that it “will take all necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.”
With regards to Trump’s trade war on China, the high-profile meetings in Beijing are anticipated to overshadow his speech at the joint session of Congress in Washington.

China has urged the US “not to repeat its own mistakes, and to return as soon as possible to the right track of properly resolving conflicts through dialogue on equal footing.” But it appears that Trump is digging his heels in as if he is the cock of the walk.   

China’s gross domestic product expanded by 5.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024. It beat Reuters-polled economists’ estimates of a 5% growth.

The Chinese government is expected to reveal the official growth targets for 2025 at the Two Sessions.

The tariffs imposed by Trump could affect China's economy; however, the consequences of these policies are likely to resonate throughout American society, resulting in significant costs to the US economy and fostering dissent.