The 2020 annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui,” were originally scheduled to begin in Beijing on March 5. The meetings were postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and new dates were announced in late April: the CPPCC meeting began instead on May 21 and the NPC on May 22.
At past Two Sessions, the leadership unveiled its target for GDP growth for the year, presented a road map for the year ahead, and closed with a news conference during which the premier took vetted questions from Chinese and foreign journalists. Given the impact of COVID-19, objectives, formats, and announcements were very different this year.
On May 29, 2020, the National Committee held a virtual program with Mr. Jude Blanchette, Freeman Chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Ms. Sun Yun, senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, both members of the Committee’s Public Intellectuals Program, to reflect on key takeaways from the 2020 Two Sessions.
