For more than two decades, the National People’s Congress has started on March 5th in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The new type of corona virus is now forcing a shift.
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Since 1995, the National People’s Congress in China has actually always been held on March 5 in the Great Hall in Beijing. This year it could be postponed due to the corona virus.
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In China, there are growing indications that the start of the National People’s Congress on March 5 – the highest legislative body in the Asian country on paper – will be postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress will meet on February 24th to discuss the schedule. In addition, the illegal trade and consumption of wild animals will be discussed during the one-day session. Recently had already Party and head of state Xi Jinping In a speech published in the Communist Party’s theory journal Qiushi, he stressed that decisive action must be taken against the indiscriminate consumption of wild animals.
The central government can still spend money
Since 1995, the respective head of government has always given a speech to the National People’s Congress on March 5. There was one exception in 1997 alone: at that time, the bogus parliament, which met on average ten days, already started on March 1st. In the years before 1995 there was no such fixed date. The National People’s Congress sometimes met in the second half of March or even in April.
The Chinese bogus parliament meets annually in early March. – A soldier salutes in Tiananmen Square. The mausoleum of Mao Zedong can be seen in the background. (Image: Matthias Müller) Go to Article
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Should the meeting be postponed this year, the Rules of procedure of the National People’s Congress set out a clear timetable in Article 2. The parliament with its almost 3000 delegates actually has to be convened in the first quarter of each year. However, whether China’s rulers will stick to the article because of the coronavirus crisis remains to be seen because the situation is still unclear. Should the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announce a new date next week, this step could be interpreted as a sign of when Beijing expects the crisis to end.
Regardless of the current confusion, however, it may be difficult to agree on a new date for the National People’s Congress. The diaries of China’s rulers are full. For example, despite the uncertain situation, Tokyo and Beijing continue to negotiate a state visit to Xi in April in Japan.
In addition to the speech by the head of government, the adoption of the budget and various appearances by those in power are the focus of the National People’s Congress. It is next to the Communist Party Congress, which takes place every five years the most important political event in China, even if the parliament only waves through the laws formulated by the party bodies.
If budget approval is delayed, unlike the United States, this would have no consequences for China’s central government. In Washington, parts of the federal administration are closed, if Congress and the White House cannot agree on a new state budget. China’s central government, on the other hand, has been allowed to spend money since the beginning of this year, even though the budget has not yet been approved.
The danger of large crowds
The state news agency Xinhua justifies the possible postponement of the National People’s Congress with the composition of the parliament. Around a third of the delegates work in local governments. And everyone is currently needed there to get the crisis under control.
In addition, the indicative shift is likely to have two practical reasons. Such large crowds of people would increase the risk of the novel corona virus spreading. And finally, a new rule has been in effect in Beijing for a few days now: Every person who comes to the Chinese capital has to go into personal quarantine for two weeks. If this provision is also applied to the delegates of the National People’s Congress, they would soon have to go to Beijing in order to be able to take part in the major political event in good time after the personal isolation of two weeks.
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