China plans for growth at Two Sessions

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During the Two Sessions, a lot of policies are articulated and approved. And not just for the year ahead but also for China's long-term growth. CGTN's Gerald Tan guides us through what happens.

How does China plan its future? Who makes the decisions? It all comes down to two meetings. Here's The Gist.

Each year in March, representatives from all across China gather at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for what's known as The Two Sessions. Importantly, these are separate and concurrent meetings held by two different bodies - hence the name.

The first is an advisory body: the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Its roughly 2,200 members represent all sections of civil society. Some notable names include basketball star Yao Ming and movie star Jackie Chan.

They'll discuss the political agenda for the coming year and present proposals for the government to consider. They suggest laws.

Writing and passing the laws fall on the National People's Congress - China's top legislature.

The NPC has nearly 3,000 members called deputies. Every province and every ethnic group is represented. Nearly a quarter of all deputies are women.

This is a particularly notable year. 2021 marks 100 years since the founding the Chinese Communist Party.

And President Xi Jinping has a vision for China to double the size of its economy in 15 years. Yes, DOUBLE.

Let me break down how they plan to do that. In 2020, China's GDP surpassed the 100-trillion-yuan benchmark. That's roughly 15 and-a-half trillion dollars.

To reach a GDP of 200 trillion yuan, or about $30 trillion dollars - China's economy would need to grow by 4.7% every year from now until 2035. The government wants to achieve that through a greener, more innovative economy powered by a bigger domestic market.

China was the only major economy to expand last year. And it successfully eradicated extreme poverty... a target affirmed in last year's Two Sessions. Another indication of just how big a role these meetings play in setting the course of the nation.