Five things to expect from China's top political meeting

Slowing growth and geopolitical tensions to dominate discussions at the NPC

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the closing session of last year's National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

March 3, 2019 11:51 JST

BEIJING -- China convened on Sunday its once-a-year meeting of the country's two top political bodies to set the nation's direction for the coming year.

The country's foremost political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, kicked off the nearly two week-long meeting, preceding the National People's Congress on Tuesday. Some 5,000 delegates from around the country, including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, are gathering at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for the largely rubber-stamp legislative sessions.