Jude Blanchette, Sun Yun | Two Sessions, Two Directions, Many Challenges

<p>The 2020 annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), known as the “Two Sessions” or “<em>Lianghui</em>,” were originally scheduled to begin in Beijing on March 5. The meetings were postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, and new dates were announced in late April: the CPPCC meeting began instead on May 21 and the NPC on May 22. </p> <p>At past Two Sessions, the leadership unveiled its target for GDP growth for the year, presented a road map for the year ahead, and closed with a news conference during which the premier took vetted questions from Chinese and foreign journalists. Given the impact of COVID-19, objectives, formats, and announcements were very different this year. </p> <p>On <strong>May 29, 2020</strong>, the National Committee held a virtual program with <strong>Mr. Jude Blanchette</strong>, Freeman Chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and <strong>Ms. Sun Yun</strong>, senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia Program and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, both members of the Committee’s <a href= "https://www.ncuscr.org/program/public-intellectuals-program">Public Intellectuals Program</a>, to reflect on key takeaways from the 2020 Two Sessions.</p>