On January 1, Quishi, the official ideological journal of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), published a speech by President Xi Jinping. In the speech, Xi called for a period of prolonged “struggle” to maintain political security, achieve self-reliance, and showcase the superiority of “Chinese-style” modernization over Western models. Xi emphasized that history has shown that striving for security through struggle brings genuine security, while seeking security through weakness and concession ultimately leads to insecurity.
However, the speech was actually delivered by Xi at a CCP study session in February 2023. The fact that it was finally published in the party’s flagship journal suggests that the intervening turmoil has not made China’s leadership alter its course. This implies that China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) will not bring about any significant changes when it convenes.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang issued his annual Work Report at the opening of the NPC meeting, repeating China’s growth target of “around 5%” for the coming year and announcing a 7.2% increase in military spending.
Experts believe that China’s NPC will not make any drastic changes in its policies. The meeting will flesh out Beijing’s known priorities, such as boosting consumption, stabilizing the property market, attracting foreign investment, and promoting supply chain self-sufficiency. However, the plenum will likely not address the root causes of sluggish consumption as it is primarily an organ of the central government.
China is also taking a more sanguine approach to US tariffs, responding in kind with tariffs on American exports. Xi’s long-standing commitment to self-reliance is becoming increasingly relevant as the US ramps up efforts to restrict China’s access to transformative technology.
While the National People’s Congress is unlikely to bring any policy bombshells, it remains to be seen how long China’s composure will last in response to escalating tensions with the US. DespiteTi on, China is making efforts to show its commitment
Source: https://time.com/7264683/china-national-peoples-congress-2025-li-work-report-xi-analysis/
