Two Sessions
The 14th National People's Congress (NPC) opened its fourth session in Beijing on March 5.
The opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee was held in Beijing on March 4.
President Xi Jinping urges major provincial economies to gain experience in solving new problems
President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged major provincial economies to redouble efforts to gain experience in analyzing new situations and solving new problems. Xi made the remarks while taking part in a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province at the fourth session of the 14th NPC.
To fulfill the development goals of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China must navigate a more complex environment and resolve more deep-seated contradictions, he said. After listening to presentations from several NPC deputies, Xi laid out the requirements for Jiangsu, an economic powerhouse in east China, to advance economic and social development over the next five years. With solid foundations, the province should take the lead in developing new quality productive forces, which is crucial to driving high-quality development and enhancing economic competitiveness, Xi said.
Xi urged the province to promote the integrated development of education, technology and talent, and strive to make breakthroughs in original innovation and core technologies in key fields. Jiangsu should break new ground in upgrading traditional industries, bolstering emerging industries, and making forward-looking plans for future industries, Xi said, calling for new progress in further deepening reform and removing the institutional barriers that hinder the development of new quality productive forces.
Stressing the role that major provincial economies play in underpinning national economic stability, Xi said that Jiangsu needs to continue strengthening its economic resilience and comprehensively integrate into the unified national market, while expanding its high-standard opening up and broadening its access to global markets. Noting that Chinese modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all, he said that Jiangsu must take the initiative to tackle such tasks as promoting high-quality and sufficient employment, increasing the incomes of urban and rural residents, and improving basic public services and social security, as part of efforts to explore effective ways to achieve common prosperity for all.
Highlights of 2026 Government Work Report
Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered the government work report on behalf of the State Council at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress on Thursday. The key points are as follows:
Review of work in 2025
- GDP grew by 5 percent.
- 12.67 million urban jobs created.
- Grain output rose to 715 million metric tons.
- New-energy vehicle output exceeded 16 million units.
Over the past five years:
- GDP crossed successive thresholds, with an average annual growth of 5.4 percent.
- Manufacturing sector has led the world in value added for the past 16 years.
- Per capita disposable income increased at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent.
- A total of over 60 million urban jobs were created.
Main goals and major tasks for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030)：
- GDP should keep growing within an appropriate range.
- An annual average increase of at least 7 percent in nationwide R&D spending.
- A total reduction of 17 percent in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP.
- Raising the value added of core digital economy industries to 12.5 percent of GDP.
- Raising the average years of schooling among the working-age population to 11.7.
- Raising life expectancy to 80 years.
- Increase in overall grain production capacity to 725 million metric tons.
- Increase in overall energy production capacity to the equivalent of 5.8 billion metric tons of standard coal.
Overall requirements and policy orientation for economic and social development in 2026
- GDP growth of 4.5-5 percent, while striving for better in practice.
- Create over 12 million new urban jobs.
- CPI increase of around 2 percent.
- Grain output of around 700 million metric tons.
- A reduction of around 3.8 percent in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP.
- The deficit-to-GDP ratio for this year is set at around 4 percent, 230 billion yuan more than last year.
- Expenditure in the general public budget is projected to reach 30 trillion yuan for the first time.
- A total of 1.3 trillion yuan of ultra-long special treasury bonds will be issued.
- 4.4 trillion yuan of local government special-purpose bonds will be issued.
Selected key tasks for 2026
Increasing income
China will formulate and implement an income growth plan for urban and rural residents and roll out a range of practical measures to boost the earnings of low-income groups, increase property income, and refine the remuneration and social security systems.
Consumption
250 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bonds will be earmarked for consumer goods trade-in programs.
Investment
A total of 755 billion yuan will be earmarked in this year's central government budget for investment. China will also allocate 800 billion yuan raised from ultra-long special treasury bonds to implement major national strategies and enhance security capacity in key areas.
New quality productive forces
Develop emerging pillar industries including integrated circuits, aviation and aerospace, biomedicine, and the low-altitude economy. Foster future industries such as future energy, quantum technology, embodied intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, and 6G. Further advance and expand the "AI Plus" initiative.
National unified market
Thoroughly address rat-race competition through a full range of measures, including production regulation, standards guidance, price law enforcement, and quality supervision.
Opening-up
China will further expand opening-up trials for value-added telecom services, biotechnology, wholly foreign-owned hospitals, and other fields.
Rural revitalization
Province-wide trials on extending rural land contracts by another 30 years upon the expiration of the current second-round contracts will be conducted across the country.
The fourth national agricultural census will be carried out.
New urbanization strategy
Well-conceived and systematic measures will be taken to grant permanent urban residency to people who move to cities from rural areas. Based on local conditions, we will ease relevant eligibility standards so that more children of rural migrant workers can take high school entrance examinations in their current place of residence.
Employment
China will bolster support for employment through various policies and foster an employment-friendly growth model. It will also implement the initiative for creating more stable, better-quality job opportunities.
Education
China will refine policies on free preschool education and increase the supply of regular senior secondary school places.
Healthcare
Government subsidies for basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents will be raised by 24 yuan per person.
Social security
Minimum basic old-age benefits for rural and non-working urban residents will be raised by 20 yuan per month. China will boost housing support for first-time married couples and those with their first child, and help families with children meet their needs for better housing.
Green development
China will set up a national fund for low-carbon transition and foster new growth drivers such as hydrogen power and green fuels.
Real estate
City-specific policies will be introduced to control the number of new real estate projects, reduce housing inventory, and improve supply. China will explore various avenues for utilizing commodity housing stock.
China ready to expand cooperation with Europe: spokesman
China is ready to work with Europe to uphold partnership as a basic characterization of their relationship, properly handle trade and economic differences, cultivate more cooperation agendas and jointly meet global challenges, Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, said at a news conference ahead of the opening of its annual session.
"The NPC is ready to strengthen friendly exchanges with European Parliament and national parliaments of European countries to increase understanding, build consensus, advance cooperation and contribute to the steady and sustained development of China-Europe relations," he added.
"The China-Europe economic and trade relationship is essentially complementary and mutually beneficial," Lou said, adding that cooperation with China is good for Europe's economic development and well-being of the European people.
Press Conference on China's Diplomacy
China’s diplomacy firmly stands on the right side of history
On March 8, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted the press conference at the Press Center for the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
Wang Yi said, in today’s world, changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace, transformation and turbulence are intertwined, and wars and conflicts keep flaring up. In today’s China, we are forging ahead at full speed in building a great country, our national rejuvenation is unstoppable, and our country’s international influence is rising steadily. Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on the central tasks of the Party and the country, and following the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, China’s diplomacy firmly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, firmly upholds international rule of law and fairness and justice, firmly opposes all unilateral acts, power politics and bullying, firmly observes and fulfills our international obligations, and firmly stands on the right side of history. As the world’s most important force for peace, for stability and for justice, we have full confidence in the future of humanity. We stand ready to work with all like-minded countries to pursue the noble goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and write new chapters of peace, development and win-win cooperation for our times.
⭐Head-of-state diplomacy is the anchor of China’s diplomacy
Navigating the international landscape over the past year, President Xi Jinping charted a course through rough waters with extensive head-of-state diplomacy, which was captured in a number of historic moments.
Through head-of-state diplomacy over the past year, the international community has had a better understanding of, drawn closer to, and had greater trust in and higher expectation of China. More and more countries have come to see that under the guidance and stewardship of President Xi Jinping, China’s diplomacy provides the most-needed stability and certainty to a world in turmoil and serves as an irreplaceable mainstay amid global turbulence.
In 2026, President Xi Jinping will receive guests from around the world, host major diplomatic events such as the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the second China-Arab States Summit, and make several important visits abroad. These diplomatic engagements are bound to further advance China’s relations with the world in a positive direction.
⭐For China-Europe relations, it is crucial for Europe to have a correct perception of China
Since last year, relations between China and European countries have been regaining strength. Two-way trade topped US$1 trillion, over two million European tourists traveled to China under visa-free policies, and, European leaders paid a number of visits. Interactions are more active.
Facts have shown that China-Europe relations draw stability from shared interests and certainty from mutually beneficial partnerships.
We are glad to see European friends stepping out of the “small attic” of protectionism and walking into the “fitness club” of the Chinese market to build their strength and competitiveness.
⭐A restart from APEC Shenzhen toward the goal of an Asia Pacific community
This year is the APEC China Year. We will host APEC for the third time.
Through intensive communication with all parties, we have decided on this year’s APEC theme, that is, “Building an Asia Pacific Community to Prosper Together.” APEC Shenzhen will focus on the three priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation, and, once again, chart the course and rally strengths for Asia Pacific cooperation at the crossroads.
⭐Revitalize the U.N., defend the U.N. and make the U.N. stronger
In today’s world, challenges of a global nature keep emerging, the governance deficit becomes more prominent, and multilateralism is under severe shock. The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) put forward by President Xi Jinping could not be more timely and was quickly echoed by over 150 countries and international organizations.
The most explicit message of the GGI is that the leading status of the U.N. must be upheld, not challenged; the central role of the U.N. must be strengthened, not weakened. The U.N. is not perfect, but without the U.N., the world would only be worse. Creating parallel structures outside the U.N. or, worse still, putting together various exclusive blocs and circles is unpopular and unsustainable.
⭐China and the U.S. should commit to a spirit of mutual respect, hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and strive for the prospect of win-win cooperation
China and the U.S. are both big countries. Neither side can remodel the other, but we can choose how we want to engage, that is, to commit to a spirit of mutual respect, to hold the bottom line of peaceful coexistence, and to strive for the prospect of win-win cooperation. That’s what serves the interests of Chinese and American peoples, and that’s also the expectation of the international community.
This year is a “big year” for China-U.S. relations. The agenda of high-level exchanges is already on the table. China is always committed and open. It is critical that the U.S. side work in the same direction. When the two sides treat each other with sincerity and good faith, we will be able to lengthen the list of cooperation, and shorten the list of problems. The year of 2026 can be a landmark year of sound, steady and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.
⭐Facing a world of chaos and turbulence, every Chinese has behind them a motherland as firm as a rock
While you may be facing a world of chaos and turbulence, you have behind you a motherland as firm as a rock. We will, as always, put our people first, further strengthen overseas security protection capabilities, and build a security risk prevention system that covers the entire globe.
⭐China’s heart is with the Global South; China’s root is in the Global South
Multilateralism is vital for Global South countries. We should encourage the international community to practice true multilateralism and uphold the U.N.-centered international system. We must always ensure that world affairs are discussed and handled by all nations, and international rules formulated by all countries.
China’s heart is with the Global South; China’s root is in the Global South. We are ready to join hands with other Global South countries to journey on toward modernization and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
⭐China’s diplomatic service will continue to be an enabler of high-standard opening up
To date, we have granted unilateral visa exemption to 50 countries and made mutual visa-free entry arrangements with 29 countries. Last year, as many as 73 percent of visitors came visa-free.
Going forward, we will continue to refine cross-border travel policies, further leverage the benefits of visa-free entry, and upgrade support services. The goal is to both make it more convenient and comfortable for foreigners to travel and live in China, and make it safer and smoother for Chinese citizens to travel abroad.
⭐The future of China-Japan relations hinges on Japan’s choice
The future of China-Japan relations hinges on Japan’s choice. Last year marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In such a special year, Japan should have deeply repented of the wrong path it chose, including its brutal invasion and colonization of Taiwan. Yet the current Japanese leader claimed that a Taiwan contingency could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, under which Japan may exercise its so-called “right of collective self-defense.” It’s well-known that the right of self-defense shall be invoked only when a country has come under armed attack. One would ask: Since Taiwan affairs are purely China’s internal affairs, what gives Japan the right to interfere with them? Why is Japan entitled to invoke self-defense if anything happens in China’s Taiwan region? Is exercising the “right of collective self-defense” simply a way to hollow out Japan’s pacifist Constitution, which renounces the right of belligerency? Given that Japanese militarists had used “survival-threatening situation” as pretext for launching aggression, such rhetoric can only make the people in China and the rest of Asia alert and deeply worried: Where exactly is Japan headed?
This year also marks another significant 80th anniversary—that of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. Eighty years ago, judges from 11 countries commenced proceedings that would span two and a half years, reviewed a mountain of irrefutable evidence, and laid bare the innumerable crimes of Japanese militarists. The Tokyo Trials, a litmus test of humanity’s conscience, delivered historical justice. Eighty years on today, Japan is given another opportunity for serious soul-searching. As Chinese adages remind us, “History is a mirror that reflects the rise and fall of human affairs” and “The past, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future.” We hope the Japanese people will keep their eyes wide open and never allow anyone foolish enough to tread the same disastrous path today. China is already a strong country. The 1.4 billion people of China will never allow anyone to justify colonialism or reverse history’s verdict on aggression.
⭐The more the international community stands against “Taiwan independence,” the more assured peace and stability will be across the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan has been an integral part of China since ancient times. It never was, is not, and never will be a country. Its return to China is a victorious outcome of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Second World War.
Its status has been definitively fixed by a series of international legal instruments, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan’s Instrument of Surrender, and Resolution 2758 of the U.N. General Assembly. Any attempt to create “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan” is doomed to fail.
Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of our motherland is a historic process that cannot be stopped. Those who support it are on the right side of history; those who defy it shall perish.
⭐Making united efforts from generation to generation to realize the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity
Our enemies are not each other—they are war, poverty, hunger, and injustice. We cannot defeat them by fighting alone or looking after only ourselves. Instead, we must rally the world and build a common future. Alone, one is helpless; united, we can have great strength.
The future of humanity is bright, but it will not dawn on its own. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is both a beautiful vision and a historic process. It requires the united efforts of many generations. China will press ahead with conviction and concrete steps, and work with any and all to make it a reality.
Watch the replay of the Press Conference at the link below：
Full text：
https:/www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjbzhd/202603/t20260308_11870805.html
On the Iran issue
China is gravely concerned over the tense situation in the Middle East
Over the past few days, FM Wang Yi had phone calls with his counterparts from Russia, Iran, Oman, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE for in-depth exchanges of views on the regional situation. He stressed:
🔵 The purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be observed, and the arbitrary use of force in international relations should be rejected.
🔵 Military operations must stop at once, early return to dialogue and negotiation must be achieved, and further escalation of tensions and spread of the conflict must be avoided.
🔵 Parties to the conflict should earnestly fulfill their international obligations, ensure civilians’ safety, and avoid any attack against civilian facilities.
China strongly condemns the massive civilian casualties caused by U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.
Visual Highlights
🔹 On the Lantern Festival in eastern China’s Anhui, glowing Aoyu lanterns — mythical fish-dragons said to ward off misfortune — rise into the night, carrying wishes for peace and good fortune in the year ahead. ✨
🔹 Happy International Women’s Day! To empower women everywhere to pursue their dreams, live fearlessly, and radiate in everything they do.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.
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Editor: JIANG Qian
