Delegates arrive for the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, March 11, 2024. The weeklong event, replete with meetings carefully scripted to allow no surprises, has highlighted how China’s politics have become ever more calibrated to elevate Xi Jinping's vision for the nation. The premier, who in the past was responsible for economic affairs as the party’s No. 2 leader, has a relatively weak status.
Past premiers have played a much larger role in leading key economic policies such as modernizing state companies, coping with economic crises, and leading housing reforms that transformed China into a nation of homeowners