The annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), colloquially known as the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui,” feature the gathering of political leaders in Beijing each spring to announce plans and goals for the coming year. In 2022, amidst heightened global tensions, the continuing pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the 20th Party Congress coming in the fall, China’s domestic political events may hold even greater significance for the world than usual.
What does the 2022 Two Sessions meeting suggest about China’s priorities in 2022 and beyond? Will the tightening in sectors including education, real estate, and investment initiated in 2021 continue? In an interview conducted on March 11, 2022, political economist and U.C. San Diego Professor Victor Shih shares insights and analyses of the Two Sessions and what this year’s meetings may indicate about China’s domestic and foreign policy going forward.
