Two Sessions in a Crucial Year

by Zhou Xin

The third session of the 13th National Peoples Congress（NPC） and the third session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference（CPPCC）， usually dubbed the “two sessions，” finally kicked off on May 22 and May 21， respectively， in Beijing after being postponed over two months due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Socially Distanced Sessions

Although China has made remarkable progress in its battle against the epidemic to the point of there being only a handful of new cases in a couple of cities in May， the picture around the world still looks grim. Total global victory is not in sight， and China still faces mounting pressure from imported cases.

Travel restrictions have been lifted in most parts of the country， but prevention and control measures are still in place. China has been cautiously working to avoid a possible second wave of infection that the World Health Organization （WHO） has warned about.

In this context， the two sessions were held with special arrangements. With the duration of both cut to one week and strict measures on social distancing and isolation imposed for participants， the two sessions were held at the original scale， attended by 2，897 NPC deputies and 2，057 CPPCC members， all wearing masks.

Participants paid silent tribute before the sessions to the martyrs and compatriots who fell to the epidemic.

Media events related to the two sessions such as press conferences and interviews of NPC deputies， CPPCC members， and ministers were moved online. Giant screens separated journalists and speakers， and the journalists asked questions from one room while meeting participants responded from another. Reporters who previously frantically sought interviews in conference rooms could access participants through online video instead. Plenary meetings of delegations normally open to the media were also suspended.

Though shorter， the sessions fulfilled the major tasks on the agenda. The report on the work of the government was deliberated and approved by the NPC and commented by the CPPCC. The Civil Code was discussed and adopted. A draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region （HKSAR） to safeguard national security was also submitted， debated and adopted.

Review of Anti-Epidemic Battle

During the two sessions， the battle against the epidemic was reviewed by Chinas leadership， lawmakers and political advisors.

In a meeting with deputies from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， Chinese President Xi Jinping， also general secretary of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission， insisted that the Party would protect peoples lives and health at all costs.

In the face of the spread of COVID-19， the CPC has， from the very beginning， clearly stated that peoples lives and health should be considered as the top priority， said Xi.

Xi also stressed fortifying the public health protection network while joining discussions with lawmakers from Hubei Province， where the virus hit hardest. He stressed reforming the disease prevention and control system， boosting epidemic monitoring， building early warning and emergency response capacity， perfecting the treatment system for major epidemics， and improving public health emergency laws and regulations.

National lawmakers and political advisors suggested the establishment of a unified and efficient leadership and command system while enhancing the treatment system for major epidemics and strengthening qualified public health teams.

Luo Jie， an NPC deputy and president of Taihe Hospital in Shiyan City， Hubei Province， shared a story about treating an 87-year-old patient in his hospital. The patient， with underlying health conditions， was treated by a special group of nine medical workers and recovered after 47 days of infection.

Statistics show that over 3，600 COVID-19 patients aged 80 or above in Hubei have recovered， seven of whom were over 100 years old.

Luo noted that the government will continue upholding the “people first” concept while comprehensively improving every link of the system to respond to emergent public health issues from early warning to medical supply reserve.

China currently has over 30 laws involving public health， which have generally withstood the test of the COVID-19 epidemic and played a positive role， declared Zhang Yesui， spokesperson for the third session of the 13th NPC， at a press conference.

However， he also noted some persisting weak links and shortcomings in the legal framework and pledged that the NPC Standing Committee would strengthen Chinas public health legislation.

Highlights of the Sessions

The special “two sessions” also brought some milestones.

A GDP growth target was not mentioned in the government work report released by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on May 22. It was only the fourth time that the target was not mentioned since China introduced the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s and the first time since 2002.

Ning Jizhe， deputy head of Chinas National Development and Reform Commission， revealed at a news conference that Chinas decision not to set a target for economic growth for 2020 was due to the great uncertainty caused by the global spread of the coronavirus and its impact on global trade and economics.

Without mentioning a GDP growth target， the government work report stated that China would prioritize stabilizing employment and ensuring peoples livelihood this year， aiming to create more than nine million new urban jobs. It said that China will also ensure the elimination of poverty among all rural residents below the current poverty line and in all poor counties this year.

The 1，260-article Civil Code was adopted. As Chinas first civil code， it consists of the General Provisions and six sections on Property， Contracts， Personal Rights， Marriage and Family， Inheritance， and Torts. The legislative task of compiling a civil code was introduced at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in October 2014. The General Provisions came into force on October 1， 2017.

Li Zan， an NPC deputy and professor at the Law School of Sichuan University， remarked that this civil code is based on Chinas civil law practice and provides solutions for major issues concerning market behaviors and social governance in China.

Liu Shoumin， an NPC deputy and vice chairman of the Sichuan Division of China Law Society， called the civil code a milestone of Chinas political progress. He believes it will serve as a pillar of society and work to protect the personal and property rights it enumerates.

A draft decision on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security was submitted to Chinas national legislature for deliberation， which was then adopted.

Wang Chen， vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee， remarked that considering Hong Kongs present situation， efforts must be made at the state level to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security and change its long-term“defenseless” status in national security.