Chinese provinces begin 'two sessions' meetings

ZHENGZHOU -- China has entered the local "two sessions" season, with central China's Henan province taking the lead and opening its annual provincial legislative meeting on Monday.

Local "two sessions," the annual meetings of provincial-level lawmakers and political advisors, discuss local economic and social development over the past year and make plans for the year to come.

The gross domestic product (GDP) of Henan, one of the country's most populous provinces, is estimated to have grown 1.3 percent in 2020 compared to the prior year. The per capita disposable income of residents is projected to have risen 3 percent year on year in the period, said Henan Governor Yin Hong while delivering the government work report during the annual session of the provincial people's congress.

On Sunday, Henan kicked off its annual meeting of provincial-level political advisors.

A number of provincial-level regions are also scheduled to open their local "two sessions" in the coming weeks. The country's provinces worst hit by recent sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks, including North China's Hebei province and Liaoning province, have postponed their annual provincial legislative meetings.