Seminal Sessions

From every perspective， this years Two Sessions were fruitful. At the First Session of the 13th National Peoples Congress， legislators deliberated and passed the Report on the Work of the Government， and adopted a constitutional amendment and the Law on Supervision. They also elected the new state leadership. Top political advisors joined the discussions， offering their insight at the National Committee session of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference.

With their broad representation， the Two Sessions demonstrated the Chinese peoples resolve to build a stronger and more prosperous country in the coming years under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Since 2012， President Xi， also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee， has made elucidations on his concepts of， and approaches to， governance on numerous occasions. Important policies unveiled during the Two Sessions， such as the reform of state agencies and the establishment of supervisory commissions， all epitomize Xis notions on the governance of China. These measures show that the country has made great headway in improving and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics， its system of state governance and its governing capacity. Their implications will undoubtedly be signifi cant.

At the 19th CPC National Congress in October 2017， Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was written into the CPC Constitution， and through the recently adopted constitutional amendment， it has been incorporated into Chinas Constitution. The thought， which encompasses guiding principles for economic， political， social， cultural and ecological progress， will provide direction for Chinas development as well as its cooperation with other countries.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening-up policy. Based on the remarkable achievements of the past four decades， China is upgrading the quality of its economic performance. The Report on the Work of the Government outlined a growth rate of 6.5 percent for 2018， while an array of practical measures have been issued aimed at furthering high-quality economic growth.

Establishing in China a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020 is one of the CPCs primary objectives， and 2018 will be a key year in the realization of this goal. To make decisive progress in the fight against poverty， a set of social concepts such as rural vitalization and ecological civilization were stressed during the Two Sessions， all supported by comprehensive plans.

The Two Sessions of 2018 were meetings of magnitude and solidarity at a time when China has entered a new era. The outcomes of the 18-day-long sessions look set to positively and signifi cantly affect China and the world at large.