China National People Congress and the
Chinese People Political Consultative Conference, March 2009

Analysis and Insights prepared by Hill & Knowlton.

Introduction

Amidst the deteriorating global economic environment and increasing expectations regarding China’s response, the 2009 annual sessions of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were held from March 3rd to March 13th. Unlike in recent years, the agenda for this year’s proceedings did not include approvals of major legislation or the announcement of major government structural and personnel changes. This year, economic revitalization was the core topic. More specifically, China’s government is facing the very ambitious task of achieving 8% GDP growth in 2009. The government recognizes, however, that even during economically difficult times, growth should not be achieved at the cost of China’s social fabric. In looking to achieve this balance, a number of additional areas received significant attention, most notably including those that are social, political and cultural related.

These proceedings give China observers an increasingly transparent window on the debates within China’s leadership, and provide tremendous insight into China’s future direction. This document is intended to provide a brief overview and analysis of the major developments in and around the NPC and CPPCC proceedings.

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