More openness to 'two sessions' welcomed

Starting this month, provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country will kick off their annual "two sessions", a Chinese term widely used to describe the annual conferences of the people's congresses - the legislative bodies - and of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the political advisory body.

The two meetings are seen by many as the most important political gatherings each year for local officials and elites to draft their economic and social blueprints for the new year. The dual sessions at the national-level will be held in Beijing in March.

The congress delegates and CPPCC members, elected as public representatives as well as political advisors to top officials, are bound by law to put forward proposals and suggestions during the weeklong sessions. Many proposals focus on hot public topics, such as skyrocketing home prices, corruption, rural affairs and social welfare issues.