'Two sessions to bring changes but concerns remain'
A top expert from a Beijing think tank said while the upcoming two sessions will showcase a "generational change" in the country's politics, more needs to be done to address the plight of the underprivileged.  Delegates from across the country will come together this weekend to discuss the nation’s plans in the annual plenary meetings of the National People's Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. The gatherings of top political bodies, which will open on March 4, is expected to see major reshuffles in the country’s government posts, including premier, vice premiers and market regulators.  Taihe Institute senior fellow and chairman of Asia Narratives, Einar Tangen, said the new lineup represents a “generational change”.  “It also represents a change in emphasis. A lot of these people speak foreign languages, they’ve been very well educated, they have a tremendous amount of experience…but they are very much into advanced technology,” he said.  “They will bring a different perspective, which quite frankly, China needs because it’s at a different stage of development.”  Tangen said the things people will be keeping a close eye on are indications from what those attending the "two sessions" will do to make up for lost time after three years of stringent Covid measures. “Looking at years of Covid, conflict in Ukraine, there are so many factors that are weighing down the global economy. The economy is going to be a main focal point, not only of China but of the entire world. And that’s why the world is watching China,” he said.  Residents on the mainland will also be keen to know what authorities will do to improve welfare, he said. “In terms of social concerns, the care of the elderly, with more people getting older, they’re very concerned about how to take care of them, they’re concerned about the birth rate which, for the first time, went negative. “There has to be a way of reminding people that there are still tremendous numbers of people who are much less fortunate, especially in rural areas, but even within cities, you still have a lot of migrant workers who really built the economic miracle that everybody sees out there,” he added.  Some Beijing residents told RTHK that they hope the annual sessions can address issues such as housing and labour protection.  “We are here to work, so we really need the salary. Because our employer is owing us a yearly salary of around 5,000 yuan. So I hope the two sessions will address wage payment issues for rural workers,” said a resident surnamed Cao. Another resident surnamed Chan said while the economy is showing signs of recovery, housing is still a major cause for concern. “I guess most youngsters are concerned about what kind of housing policies there will be and how they will affect property prices. I expect this will be the main topic in the coming five years. But I think the economy is improving after Covid, especially with the development of the online market,” he said. Meanwhile, Tangen also called the closed-loop arrangement for the annual sessions "overly cautious", noting most Covid restrictions on the mainland have already been scrapped.  But Lau Siu-kai, a consultant for the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the rule is understandable since many political heavyweights will be present.  Lau added that the meetings are unlikely to have an emphasis on Hong Kong affairs.