National People’s Congress to set China’s economic goals and priorities

China’s ceremonial legislature is set to meet Thursday in Beijing as part of the annual “Two Sessions,” a tightly staged political calendar in which the National People’s Congress is expected to outline the country’s policy direction and economic goals for the coming years.

The Two Sessions take place in the Chinese capital, where the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference assemble. The National People’s Congress, with a near-3,000-member body, will “technically” vote on new laws, but the outcome is routinely almost unanimous because the legislation is decided by Communist Party leadership in advance, according to reporting on how the process works.

The second of the two meetings, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, brings together elite members of Chinese society—from business figures to athletes—and includes representatives from China’s minority groups. The consultative conference, however, serves an advisory role and has little power on public policy decisions compared with the party-led process that shapes the legislature’s agenda.

A prominent focus at the National People’s Congress is the economy. The meeting is when the Chinese premier typically announces a growth target and other economic goals for the year. This year, observers are also watching for details related to the 15th five-year plan, for which the government released a draft in October, with expectations that it will emphasize building technological strength and self-sufficiency.

Experts cited in the lead-up to the meeting said China will face a difficult balance between pushing tech manufacturing—such as in robotics, renewable energy and AI—and boosting domestic consumption as many households feel financial strain. The reported backdrop includes a sluggish economy, high youth unemployment, weak housing prices and sagging domestic consumption, alongside an ongoing trade confrontation with the United States in which tariffs have been leveraged against Chinese goods.

At a press conference, Lou Qinjian, the spokesperson for this year’s National People’s Congress, said the government would maintain efforts to improve living standards and boost consumption. He said the steps would include raising incomes and improving the education, child care, elderly care and health care systems so “consumers will feel freer to spend,” according to the account of his remarks.

Alongside the consumption push, observers have also suggested the government may adjust its headline growth goal. Policy experts Neil Thomas and Lobsang Tsering, of the Asia Society, said they expect a drop in the headline growth target to a record low and described the expected shift as moving “from high-speed to high-quality growth.”

The meeting is also expected to ratify a new law governing China’s ethnic minorities. While a final draft was not released in advance, experts said the latest public draft focuses on assimilation and on reducing autonomy for minority groups. Lou said the legislation would foster “a stronger sense of community among all ethnic groups in the Chinese nation,” outlining steps intended to promote interaction, exchange and integration.

Lou also framed the law within the Communist Party’s broader messaging on unity, crediting earlier five-year plans with delivering not only rapid economic growth but also long-term stability, a major concern for party leaders. Personnel moves are expected to be limited for the upcoming Two Sessions, with the legislature having dismissed 19 members last week after the high-profile removal of two senior generals in January.

One member is expected to remain of the powerful Central Military Commission that controls the military, and policy experts said they do not expect personnel announcements at the upcoming sessions even as observers closely track attendance for potential signs of internal purges. Alfred Wu, a professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore, said he does not think the leadership is particularly worried about the commission’s composition, pointing to the return of Wang Yi as foreign minister after stepping down earlier.

AP writer Ken Moritsugu contributed to the report.