The annual NPC and CPPCC gatherings set policy for all of China — and their directives increasingly shape daily life in Hong Kong
Beijing’s Most Important Annual Political Event
China’s Two Sessions — the annual concurrent meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — opened in Beijing this week, drawing 2,900 NPC delegates and around 2,170 CPPCC representatives to the Great Hall of the People. The NPC opened on March 5, the CPPCC on March 4. Together, these gatherings set China’s official policy agenda for the year ahead and this year were given the additional significance of adopting the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030. For Hong Kong residents, the Two Sessions are not an abstract Beijing event. Their outcomes directly shape government policy in the city, from economic integration to national security implementation and the political framework within which Hong Kong operates.
What the NPC Actually Is
The National People’s Congress is described in Chinese law as the highest organ of state power. In practice, it functions as a legislative body that formally approves decisions made by the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership. Its roughly 2,900 delegates come from all provinces and territories, including 36 from Hong Kong and 12 from Macau. It meets once a year, usually in early March. The CPPCC is a political advisory body that convenes alongside the NPC. Its members include representatives of non-Communist political parties and professional associations, providing a form of consultative input into national policy. In practice, both bodies operate under Party leadership, and space for genuine internal debate has narrowed considerably since Xi Jinping centralised power after 2012.
The Main Event: The Government Work Report
The centrepiece of each Two Sessions is the Government Work Report, delivered by the Premier to the NPC. This year, Premier Li Qiang set a GDP growth target of 4.5 to 5 percent, announced a 7 percent increase in defence spending, pledged support for AI and biomedicine as strategic industries, called on Hong Kong to leverage its unique strengths, and set the framework for the new Five-Year Plan. The report operationalises decisions made at the Communist Party’s Central Economic Work Conference in December and translates them into policy directives that ministries and local governments — including Hong Kong — then implement.
Hong Kong’s Role in the Two Sessions
Hong Kong’s 36 NPC deputies participate in the sessions and can raise proposals on issues affecting the city. But they are vetted for loyalty to Beijing, and the pro-democracy voices that once used the sessions as a platform for Hong Kong’s concerns have been eliminated from political life. The result is that Hong Kong’s interests at the Two Sessions are represented by people selected by Beijing, not by people chosen by Hong Kong voters. The Asia Society Policy Institute provides authoritative independent analysis of the Two Sessions. The Guardian’s China coverage has documented the widening gap between the government’s claims about Two Sessions democracy and the reality of one-party rule. For Hongkongers old enough to remember when the city had genuine political participation, the spectacle of the Two Sessions — with its perfectly synchronised votes and scripted speeches — is a reminder of everything that Hong Kong’s own political system has lost.
Pui Yi Cheung
Economy & Labor Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: puiyi.cheung@appledaily.uk
Pui Yi Cheung is an economy and labor journalist with expertise in employment trends, small business dynamics, and workers’ rights. Educated at a respected UK journalism school, she received formal training in economic reporting, data literacy, and investigative techniques, equipping her to cover complex financial topics accurately.
She has contributed to Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese newspapers, reporting on wage policy, employment conditions, labor organizing, and the economic challenges facing diaspora communities. Her work emphasizes firsthand interviews and careful examination of official statistics and regulatory documents.
Pui Yi brings real newsroom experience in translating economic data into accessible reporting without sacrificing accuracy. She is known for methodical fact-checking and for consulting independent experts when covering technical subjects.
Her authority is reinforced by consistent editorial oversight and adherence to transparency standards, including clear sourcing and prompt corrections when required.
At Apple Daily UK, Pui Yi Cheung produces trustworthy economic journalism grounded in evidence, professional experience, and public-interest reporting.
