Growth pursued, sense of normalcy returns

Stepping into the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday morning, I felt the air was charged with excitement as thousands of journalists from various corners of the world gathered, eager to cover the unfolding events at the two sessions, the annual gathering of the National People's Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

As a reporter, I couldn't help but feel a surge of exhilaration at being part of this historic occasion. Gone were the constraints of limited attendance and stringent health protocols that characterized the past few years due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

It was a return to the bustling atmosphere reminiscent of pre-epidemic times.

One of the highlights of this year's two sessions is the reinstatement of open group activities for various delegations. This signifies a renewed commitment to transparency and engagement, allowing both domestic and foreign media access to the deliberation process on the Government Work Report.

As I navigated the corridors of the Great Hall of the People, I was reminded of the symbolic significance of this year's two sessions. It is not only a gathering of national legislators and political advisers, but also a testament to our collective determination to overcome adversity and embrace normalcy once again. The two sessions serve as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward a brighter future.

As China's economic recovery is expected to improve and be further consolidated this year, national legislators and political advisers have turned their attention to topics related to China's high-quality development.

Buzzwords such as "new quality productive forces" and "carbon peaking and neutrality goals" have dominated discussions this week. China will move faster to develop new quality productive forces this year, the work report said.

Qi Xiangdong, chairman of cybersecurity company Qi-Anxin Technology Group, believes that fostering new quality productive forces is conducive to promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese modernization.

Qi, who is also a member of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, said that private enterprises will play a key role in accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

He called for more efforts to further support the development of the private sector.

The work report also emphasized the nation's dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. It said the country will make active yet prudent efforts to meet both goals.

To that end, Ma Zejiang, mayor of Yichang, Hubei province, and an NPC deputy, suggested that it is necessary to build a modern industrial system along the Yangtze River characterized by high-end, intelligent and green development. More efforts are also needed to accelerate the clean and low-carbon transformation of shipping for a better environment along the Yangtze.

Wang Yanxin, president of the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and an NPC deputy, noted the hiatus between the supply and demand of dual-carbon talents, saying the government, businesses and society as a whole should work together to build a training system to cultivate more talent to meet the increasing need.