As a large political conclave drones on in Beijing, influential delegates stole the limelight at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the Communist Party’s advisory body.
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meets annually, in parallel with the National People’s Congress (NPC); together they are known as the “Two Meetings.”
According to Chinese official media, over 60 percent of the new 2,200 CPPCC legislators do not belong to the Communist Party. They include celebrities and public figures, such as basketball player Yao Ming and Nobel literature prizewinner Mo Yan.
More than 1,700 journalists swarmed around influential delegates as they entered the Great Hall of the People, trying to find the news stories with sensitive topics.
The central government recently issued the “Five New Guidelines” to curb housing prices, which include restrictions on large houses, stipend and lending rates for cities with property price hikes, and a 20 percent capital gains tax. Many are worried such policies could drive up the transaction costs on existing homes.
