Spokesman says government is serious about severely punishing corrupt officials, no matter who they may be or what position they hold.

Frayed ties between Asia's 2 largest economies to be concern at meetings.

Maintaining a stable national economic policy is expected to be one of the major themes.

Environmental issues, especially the nation's problems with smog, will be a major focus.

Some corrupt officials may flee abroad and others do more to hide crimes.

The mounting debt incurred by China's local governments over the years will likely take center stage at this year's parliamentary sessions.

To sum up the government's performance in managing the economy last year, the country's top leadership noted on Monday that the year saw more difficulties than he had anticipated, but also yielded better results than what was once thought to be possible.

Shanghai is likely to experience a short-lived baby boom, but the city will not solve the problem of its aging population anytime soon, an expert said after the city relaxed its one-child policy on Tuesday.

China unveiled a set of reforms to its petition system, vowing rule of law in handling petition cases and expanding petition channels online.

China's public and media are praising the central government's recent order to its departments to disclose their "power lists" — registers of their administrative approvals.

Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday he wants cooperation with Vietnam in the South China Sea to expand to "a larger scale of joint development", during his meeting with a visiting Vietnamese senior official.

Social security and the country's anti-corruption drive have topped a list of social and political issues concerning respondents to an online poll prior to the annual sessions of China's parliament and top advisory body.

Chinese governments and departments are not meeting standards when it comes to transparency and publicizing information, said a report by a government think tank on Monday.

Chinese authorities have vowed to deter judicial corruption in commutation of sentences and probation following a string of convicts who bribed their way out of prisons.

A number of security measures will be introduced in major hospitals after a rising spate of vicious attacks against medical workers.