The Chinese Embassy in the UK organised a symposium on March 20 for friends of China to learn about and discuss China’s recent parliamentary ‘two sessions’.
Introduced by Minister Zhao Fei, the proceedings began with a keynote speech by Ambassador Zheng Zeguang, who had just returned from attending the meetings in his capacity of a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
He said that the Two Sessions demonstrated the Chinese people’s confidence, resolve, and their spirit of unity and readiness to take action. They also projected China’s main economic and social development targets and outlined a series of important policy measures.
He added that amid growing global uncertainties, China and the UK should act upon the important common understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, earnestly implement the outcomes of the China-UK Strategic Dialogue, the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, and the China-UK Energy Dialogue, and uphold the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. Both sides should seek common ground while resolving differences properly, and advance dialogue and collaboration across various sectors to benefit the people of both countries. He expressed the hope that people from different sectors in both countries would work together to promote the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
Following the Ambassador’s opening, remarks were made by:
- Andy Brooks, General Secretary of the New Communist Party (NCP) of Britain.
- Ella Rule, Chair of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) (CPGBML)
- Ruth Styles, Chair of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB)
- Stephen Perry, Honorary President of the 48 Group Club
- Lord (Neil) Davidson of Glen Cova, Labour member of the House of Lords and former government minister
- Martin Jacques, former Senior Fellow of Cambridge University and author of ‘When China rules the World’
- Keith Bennett, Co-editor of Friends of Socialist China
- Helen Jones, Director of Global Engagement of the Science Museum Group
- Sam Daws, Senior Advisor to Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative
- Hugh Goodacre, Secretary of the Xi Jinping Thought Study Group (Institute for Independence Studies); and
- Frances Wood, former curator at the British Library, Sinologist, historian and author.
The discussion continued over lunch, with further contributions, including from Maise Riley, Chair of the Young Communist League (YCL) of Britain, and David Peat, Secretary of the Friends of Socialist China Britain Committee.
We reprint below the report that was published on the website of the Chinese Embassy, along with Keith Bennett’s remarks in the discussion.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK Holds Symposium for People from Various Sectors in the UK to Highlight Key Takeaways from China’s Two Sessions
On 20 March 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the UK hosted a symposium with representatives of people from various sectors in the UK to introduce the key messages of China’s Two Sessions, during which, Ambassador Zheng Zeguang delivered a keynote speech, and participants engaged in discussions.
In his speech, Ambassador Zheng emphasised that the recently concluded Two Sessions were a significant event in China’s political agenda. Given the evolving international and domestic landscapes, this year’s Two Sessions attracted even greater attention and carried profound significance.
The Two Sessions demonstrated the Chinese people’s confidence, resolve, and their spirit of unity and readiness to take action. The Two Sessions also projected China’s main economic and social development targets and outlined a series of important policy measures.
China remains committed to advancing Chinese modernisation through high-quality development. Measures will be taken to implement proactive and effective macroeconomic policies, boost consumption, expand domestic demand and effective investment, advance technological innovation andfoster new quality productive forces. Efforts will also be made to promote high-standard opening-up,and stabilise foreign trade and investment. Despite the challenges and difficulties, we are confident in achieving the goals set out at the Two Sessions.
The Two Sessions also highlighted the unique advantages of China’s political system. They serve as a vivid practice of the whole-process people’s democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
The Government Work Report reflects the broad consensus among the Chinese people. During this year’s Two Sessions, 2,929 deputies of the National People’s Congress and 2,154 members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference gathered in Beijing to discussstate affairs, effectively integrating public aspirations into the country’s top-level planning.
This system ensures a complete process from public opinion collection to consultation and implementation. The institutional advantages of China have been key to the country’s rapid economic growth and long-term social stability over the past more than 70 years.
The Two Sessions reaffirmed China’s role as an “enabler” of global peace and development. In a world increasingly marked by turmoil, and rising unilateralism and protectionism,and with global economic growth and the stability of supply and industrial chainsunder strain, China will continue to propel global economic growth through its own development, advance global technological innovation, lead the green transition, and defend world peace and stability.
China remains committed to working with all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind and create a brighter future for peace and development worldwide.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that amid growing global uncertainties, China and the UK should act upon the important common understandings reached by our leaders, earnestly implement the outcomes of the China-UK Strategic Dialogue, the China-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue, and the China-UK Energy Dialogue, and uphold the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,equality and mutual benefit. Both sides should seek common ground while resolving differences properly, advance dialogue and collaboration across various sectors to benefitthe people of bothcountries. He expressed hope that people from different sectors in both countries would work together to promote the steady and sustained development of China-UK relations.
The British representatives at the symposium acknowledged that with increasing global uncertainties and instabilities, the current international landscape is undergoing its most profound changes since the end of World War II. China’s role and influence have become more prominent. They noted that the successful conclusion of China’s Two Sessions set ambitious development goals and pragmatic measures, showcasing the strong vitality of Chinese modernisation and the advantages of China’s whole-process people’s democracy. These developments have strengthened confidence of people from across different sectors in the UK in China’s future. They expressed readiness to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China to promote pragmatic collaboration, enhance the development of UK-China relations, and contribute to building a peaceful and prosperous world.
Remarks by Keith Bennett
Thank you, Ambassador Zheng, for your comprehensive and enlightening presentation on the perspectives and outcomes of the recent ‘two sessions’, the annual pinnacle of China’s whole process people’s democracy. Having also attended the event at the Bank of China this Monday, I feel particularly privileged to have been able to listen to your insights twice this week.
On March 13, Foreign Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongsavanh Phomvihane met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, becoming the first foreign minister to visit China since the ‘two sessions’.
At their meeting, Wang Yi noted that these gatherings had set an economic growth target of around five percent for 2025. This, he said, reflects a scientific attitude of seeking truth from facts, an enterprising spirit of striving hard to deliver, and the resolve to meet difficulties head-on.
I find this to be a succinct summary of the Chinese approach. Serious study and deliberation, so as to find ways to surmount difficulties and obstacles from within and without, and to formulate practical and realistic policies which put people first, are people-centred, and are geared towards improving their livelihood.
They illustrate how China is focusing on addressing what President Xi Jinping described, at the 19th Party Congress in 2017, as the principal contradiction at the present stage in China, namely that between unbalanced and inadequate development on the one hand and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life on the other.
President Xi has said that if people are awakened only at election time but go into hibernation afterwards, this is token democracy. On this basis, I think it’s very important to look not only at what happens at the ‘two sessions’, but also what happens afterwards.
And this year, China has wasted no time at all in following up. It has hit the ground running. On March 16, a 30-point program was released aimed at vigorously boosting consumption, including by increasing wages and social provision on the one hand, and alleviating financial burdens on the other, thereby stimulating the economy by boosting public and consumer confidence.
The Xinhua News Agency put it as follows: “By connecting consumer spending to broader social goals like elderly care improvement, childcare support and work-life balance, the plan embeds consumption growth within China’s wider development objectives, signalling that consumption is being positioned not just as an economic target but as a means to enhance quality of life.”
China is definitely not immune from the headwinds in the global economy, and especially the capricious and irresponsible behaviour of the current incumbent in the White House. In fact, with the combination of its key role in world trade and global supply chains, along with its being the main target of protectionism, trade and tariff wars, and technological blockade, it is impacted more than most.
Yet, it is certainly the best prepared and the best equipped to navigate its way through the present maelstrom, without panic and with policies that benefit the mass of people rather than increasing their burdens.
China is able to do this on the basis of the firm foundations laid since 1949, and especially since 1978, and particularly through the dual circulation theory which expands the role of the internal market while not neglecting the external.
The contrast with our own country could scarcely be more striking. While China is set to increase wages, especially the minimum wage, step up enforcement of paid leave, ease the costs of childcare and care for the elderly, and improve the work-life balance by, for example, increased and more easily accessible provision of cultural events and sports activities, thereby stimulating the economy by putting more money in people’s pockets, and affording greater scope to enjoy it, our own government, ironically in the same week, has outlined proposals, which in the words of the Guardian, mean that, “up to 1.2 million people with disabilities will lose thousands of pounds under the government’s welfare overhaul… as campaigners warn the plan will exacerbate the country’s mental health crisis and push more children into poverty.”
It is ironic, therefore, but sadly not surprising, that the same Guardian newspaper should have described China’s latest measures as an attempt to “lift its struggling economy.”
It evidently escapes the newspaper’s attention that, whilst China has set the bold but realisable target of repeating last year’s 5% growth, the UK’s growth last year was 0.9% and most economists project, perhaps optimistically given government policies, growth this year of between 1.2-1.5%, with Bloomberg settling for 1.3. In fact, the UK economy shrank by 0.1% in January. Not particularly encouraging for a government that claims growth for its mantra.
It is well past time for people in Britain to shed the New Cold War mentality and start learning from China.
Thank you.
