It is a snowy and bitterly cold morning in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
This is a place where journalists and their cameras are not normally allowed; Its brutal history makes it so A very sensitive place.
But this morning it was closed to regular tour groups, and we were invited and allowed to film freely; A special occasion marker.
The occasion this time was an annual political event known as the Lianghui or Two Sessions.
Image: Reuters
This is China’s Akin to the state opening of parliament, a moment of pomp and ceremony, the curtain rises on what China’s leaders think and what they want.
About 3000 delegates are here from all over the country, all members of China’s Legislative Council.
Images: Reuters
Many wore the traditional dress of China’s many ethnic minorities; A variety show is more important.
In theory, they are here to debate policy and vote on new laws and constitutional changes; In reality, they already rubber-stamp decisions behind closed doors.
But there’s no denying that the spectacle is fascinating.
In the cavernous Great Hall of the People, everything was pitch perfect; The band, the staging, even the tea cups refilled in perfect choreographic unity.
Image: AP
Trying to understand where China is going has always been a game of reading between the lines, and it is even today.
For example, the economy is clearly still sluggish. The announced growth target of 4.5 to 5% is the lowest China has set itself for 30 years.
But this year, there is a bit more insight into what China’s ambitions might be, and this year sees the publication of China’s latest ‘Five Year Plan’, a blueprint of sorts for what China’s strategy should be between now and 2030.
Image: AP
This may sound a bit lofty, but in the past these plans were more indicative; In the 1980s, for example, it was the Five Year Plan that heralded China’s infamous reform and opening up — a policy that ultimately made it rich.
This year’s project focuses on how China can truly grow and win through leadership in the high-tech race; It seeks technological self-reliance, national security and state guidance of the economy.
As well Xi Jinping Without speaking today himself, there is absolutely no doubt that everything laid out is a reflection of his leadership and his vision for an ascendant China.
Image: AP
They arrive at this annual political moment in arguably their strongest positions for years; A year’s worth of manipulation Donald Trump In the US-China trade war, he purged his military leadership and further strengthened his overall power.
You can see it from the stage to differential body language; His power is uncontested.
And it is designed entirely to send a message to the world.
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Image: AP
Although Lianghui is primarily focused on domestic policy, it does not take place in a vacuum and events in the Middle East are an inevitable backdrop.
The reality is that Chinese President Donald Trump, with all its displays of unity, order and strength, is mind-bogglingly different from the mess he has unleashed.
It’s a fitting contrast to their narrative – China is a superpower worth betting on.
