Global Focus on Two Sessions 2025
The two sessions or "Lianghui," annually held in Beijing in March, are closely watched by the international community every year.
"I'm particularly interested in discussions around international cooperation and China's growing role in global development," Paata Kalandadze, ambassador of Georgia to China, told Science and Technology Daily.
This year was his second time attending the two sessions. He said the topics discussed, such as sustainability, green technology and the digital economy, would be essential to address global challenges and foster progress worldwide.
Emerging sectors such as digital economy and green development hold immense potential for Georgia, and Georgia is keen to leverage China's expertise to ensure that both countries can mutually benefit from technological innovations and sustainable economic growth, Kalandadze said.
The China-Georgia agreement on mutual visa exemption for each other's citizens, which came into effect last year, will strengthen the two countries' collaboration in areas such as trade, business, tourism, cultural exchanges and technology, he added.
Ismail Hakki Musa, Turkish ambassador to China, said China's economic policies and goals set at the two sessions hold great significance for the world as China contributes about one-third of global economic growth.
One of the main events of the two sessions was Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivering the Government Work Report. How China plans to bolster its economy remains central to the discussion. As the world's biggest trading partner and an innovative power, its policies are significant for the whole world, geostrategic analyst Imran Khalid wrote for the Foreign Policy in Focus.
The part of the report attracting the most global attention is China setting its economic growth target at around five percent for 2025. Many overseas news outlets said it signals strong confidence for future development.
The growth target "reflects an effort to project confidence in its ability to stay the course," CNN said. It indicated China's determination to boost its economy, Financial Times said.
The unchanged growth target means that China is confident about the domestic outlook, given the developments in AI, according to ANZ Research.
China has a strong track record of meeting its target year after year, according to leading European bank ING. The target is "a show of confidence and a harbinger of stronger policy support for domestic demand," ING said.
Expanding domestic demand is the top priority of this year's Government Work Report. Special initiatives will be launched to boost consumption in 2025, including issuing ultra-long special treasury bonds of 300 billion RMB (about 42 billion USD) to support consumer goods trade-in programs, the report said.
Measures such as the national unified market initiative, the social security system and development of the private sector are more important over the long term, Wang Tao, chief China economist at UBS Group AG, told Bloomberg. "That's all going to boost income, employment and confidence, and therefore consumption," she said.
Promoting high-level opening up is also highlighted. The report said one of the major tasks this year is to stabilize foreign trade and investment. Foreign investment will be vigorously encouraged, including comprehensive trials and demonstrations for opening up the service sector, as well as telecommunications, medical services and education.
"It's a positive sign that amid rising global protectionism, China is taking further steps to open up," ING said.