China has kicked off its key political and legislative meetings this week as trade tensions escalate following the new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration in the United States.

Thousands of delegates from around the country have descended on the capital, Beijing, for the annual "Two Sessions" — near-concurrent meetings of China's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and its top political advisory body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The delegates are known to approve decisions already made behind closed doors by the leadership of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

However, these annual events still serve as a crucial window into Beijing's policy direction for the year, with 2025 taking on a greater significance given Trump's attempts to redirect global trade and investment flows by imposing sweeping tariffs on US economic partners.

Speaking at the opening session, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced a 5% growth target for 2025, despite the uncertain external environment and ongoing domestic economic weakness.

"The multilateral trading system is experiencing disruptions, and tariff barriers continue to increase," Li said while delivering his annual work report to the NPC.

He described the escalating US-China competition as changes "unseen in a century" and stressed that "an increasingly complex and severe external environment may exert a greater impact on China in areas........

© Deutsche Welle