China's 'two sessions': Economics, environment and Xi's power

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China's "two sessions" - the annual meetings of the national legislature and the top political advisory body - are opening in Beijing. 

The meetings are significant markers on the country's carefully choreographed political stage. This year, the parliament is expected to rubberstamp major constitutional changes that will elevate the power of President Xi Jinping.

More than 5,000 delegates will attend the sessions

It will also confirm dropping China's two-term presidential limit. That would mean Xi Jinping could stay in power for life, leading China according to his new ideological guidelines, known as "Xi Jinping Thought".


Here's what will go on during the sessions.

Who is meeting?

The National People's Congress (NPC). That's the legislature or parliament. Think the House of Commons in the UK, or the US House of Representatives.

According to the constitution, the NPC is the most powerful state organ but it's often labelled a "rubber-stamp" body by international observers, meaning it will always approve what it's told to approve.

This year, the NPC has 2,980 deputies representing China's provinces, autonomous regions, centrally-administered municipalities, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, and the armed forces.

Among those are 742 women - that's around 25% this time, more than the last NPC - and also 438 ethnic minority deputies.

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

That's the most powerful political advisory body. Think House of Lords or the US Senate. The CPPCC is strictly advisory in nature - it does not have any legislative power.

The current CPPCC has 2,158 members, including people from entertainment, sports, science, business and non-Communist parties.