Photo: Xinhua

The 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) begins today in Beijing.

Today’s conference kicks off a wider meeting of China’s top political officials in the CPPCC, the PRC’s top political advisory body. The CPPCC aspires to analyze foreign and domestic challenges and propose policy solutions, but in practice acts more as a rubber-stamp committee for Party leadership. Members will likely discuss foreign policy issues like Taiwan and Russia’s war in Ukraine, and domestic issues like reviving economic growth and addressing pandemic discontent.

CPPCC members will have several challenges ahead of them today, however, as China has faced a number of destabilizing events in recent months. An abrupt end to the strict zero-COVID policy led fatalities to skyrocket but enabled economic recovery. A recovery which has been aided by cheap, politically dubious, Russian energy.

President Xi Jinping is expected to fill top Party positions, particularly in the economic sector, with loyal followers. Officials will likely admonish US-Taiwanese relations, announce targeted growth of around 6%, and institute new industrial policies to further stimulate production by leveraging cheap Russian energy. However, medium-term growth may be hampered by an emphasis on Party loyalty over economic progress.