A Symphony of Voices
The Two Sessions - the annual gathering of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (Two Sessions) - are not just pivotal events in the country’s political calendar. They resonate deeply with ordinary citizens, influencing daily life across the nation.
During the meetings, typically held in early March, discussions surrounding key economic and social policies and other news related to the sessions dominate social media platforms like Weibo. This intersection of high-level policy discussions and grassroots engagement makes the Two Sessions a focal point for understanding contemporary China.
A focus of the Two Sessions is the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by the premier of the State Council to the NPC. It comprehensively reviews the past year’s achievements and challenges and sets out the government’s plans and priorities for the coming year. The report is deliberated and adopted at the annual sessions.
Pro-growth policies
This year’s government work report was delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th NPC on 5 March. The country’s economic performance was mentioned at the top of the report. The report said that in 2024, China’s gross domestic product rose to 134.9 trillion yuan ($18 trillion), a year-on-year increase of 5 percent. This growth can be attributed to a series of macroeconomic measures implemented to counteract economic downturn pressures. As a result, China remains one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, contributing about 30 percent to global economic growth.
Looking ahead, the Chinese government has set the economic growth target at around 5 percent for 2025, according to the report. The report also outlines several other key development goals for the year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of approximately 5.5 percent, the creation of over 12 million new urban jobs, and a roughly 2-percent increase in the consumer price index, an important gauge of inflation and deflation.
Huang Qunhui, a national political advisor from the Institute of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasised the importance of this growth target, describing it as grounded and realistic. In a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency, he noted that, in the face of a challenging global environment, such a proactive and resilient approach reflects China’s determination to navigate uncertainty while pursuing sustainable growth.
As 2025 is the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), this is a pivotal time for formulating the next five-year blueprint. The government seeks not only growth in the short term but also long-term modernisation.
The five-year plans, initiated in the 1950s, have served as a central mechanism for guiding China through economic fluctuations and external challenges. They have played an important role in fostering social and economic development and enhancing the nation’s strength.
To achieve its growth target, China will roll out more targeted policies to stimulate economic activity. At the Central Economic Work Conference last December, outlining the economic priorities for the 12 months ahead, policymakers pledged to roll out more proactive macro policies in 2025. Boosting consumption was at the forefront of the nine key objectives defined at the meeting. This reflects China’s emphasis on domestic demand as a top economic priority.
The 2025 government work report stated China will launch special initiatives to boost consumption in 2025, including issuing ultra-long special treasury bonds of 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) to support consumer goods trade-in programmes.
Another key focus for the year will be the development of new quality productive forces, tailored to local conditions, and the acceleration of a modernised industrial system. First introduced in 2023, new quality productive forces represent a shift away from traditional economic growth models. They prioritise high-tech, high-efficiency productivity, aligning with China’s new high-quality development philosophy.
People-oriented
At the heart of the discussions at the Two Sessions is the commitment to enhancing quality of life for all residents, particularly in areas such as education, health care and social security. The government recognises that a thriving economy must be complemented by robust social infrastructure to support the well-being of the nation’s 1.4 billion people. The government work report dedicated a substantial portion to policies to improve people’s livelihoods.
Soon after Li had delivered the report, the initiative to provide childcare subsidies, aimed at boosting birth rates, became a top trending topic on social media.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China experienced a turnaround in 2024, reporting increases in both the number of newborns and the birth rate after seven consecutive years of decline. This trend has been largely supported by a series of birth-friendly policies to encourage family growth.
In 2025, employment continues to be a primary concern for the public. “Employment is crucial to the people’s well-being. Keeping this in mind, we will further refine the employment-first policy and make better use of various types of funds and resources to provide stronger support,” the government work report read. It emphasised the importance of leveraging relevant initiatives, such as unemployment insurance premium refunds, tax and fee reductions, and employment subsidies, to promote full and high-quality employment. Additionally, the report highlighted plans to expand employment and business startup opportunities for college graduates and other young people, while also assisting ex-service members in their resettlement and job placement efforts.
Mo Rong, CPPCC National Committee member and president of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Security, believes the series of measures aimed at stabilising employment in the report are a new response to the current employment situation and the changing dynamics in the employment sector. The shifts in labour demand due to economic transformation and upgrading have accelerated adjustments in the country’s employment structure.
