On 4th and 5th March 2024 respectively, the 2nd Session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the 2nd Session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) opened in Beijing. They are often called the “National Two Sessions” and held every Spring.

The NPC is China’s supreme organ of state power. Its permanent body is the Standing Committee. Participating in its annual session are close to 3,000 deputies elected from the provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, special administrative regions, and the armed forces. All the minority nationalities are entitled to appropriate representation.

The CPPCC is a patriotic united front organization of Chinese people, serving as a key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). As China's only national political consultative body, it is an important channel for socialist consultative democracy, a key component of the national governance system, and an institution designed with Chinese characteristics. At its annual session, more than 2,000 members hear and deliberate a work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on the proposals from political advisors.

The “National Two Sessions” is China’s important political event. Through this window, people can learn about the work Chinese government has done in the past year, observe China’s current hot concerns and understand the characteristics of “Chinese-style democracy”.

This year, the world is paying more attention to China’s “National Two Sessions”, as the global economy is weighed down by protectionism and the abuse of the security concept, and the international system is impaired by unilateralism and bloc politics.

Meanwhile, China is bringing confidence and momentum to international community. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the 60th Munich Security Conference Conversation with China, “No matter how the world changes, China, as a responsible major country, will keep its major principles and policies consistent and stable and serve as a staunch force for stability in a turbulent world.”

China also injects confidence to world development with an open attitude. In 2023, its gross domestic product exceeded 126 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.2% compared to the previous year, with a growth rate accelerating by 2.2 percentage points. China has set an annual economic growth target of around 5% for 2024. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that China's contribution to global economic growth exceeds 30%, remaining the largest driving force for global economic growth.

China has a huge population and a complex structure. To protect rights and interests of people from all walks of life, deputies to the NPC and members to the CPPCC are broadly representative, a typical example of whole-process people’s democracy in China. The people take part in law-based democratic elections, consultations, decision making, management, and oversight; they participate in the management of state affairs, social affairs, and economic and cultural affairs.

Diverse consultation activities are conducted at the community level, and grassroots opinions are directly transmitted to the top legislature and executive organs. Deliberations and discussions are held before major decisions are made, which helps the country make great achievements in multiple fields.

In the nearly 75 years since the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Chinese people have achieved two miracles rare in the world: rapid economic development and long-term social stability, for which the whole-process people's democracy has provided a solid institutional guarantee.

In November 2023, a delegation of the Parliament of Samoa visited China. During their on-sight tour to villages, factories, parks, museums, and agriculture centers in Jiangxi and Fujian provinces, members of Parliament were impressed by how China looks after the most vulnerable people and takes care of the needs of the grassroots. China's whole-process people's democracy is a unique mode of democracy of the people of China, and its commitment to putting people first is remarkable, they remarked.

With China’s “National Two Sessions” ongoing, I wish it a great success and hope Samoan brothers and sisters could follow it closely, for a better understanding of China and an evergreen friendship between our two peoples!

Fei Mingxing is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Independent State of Samoa.