The 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) will open its second annual session on Tuesday and the 13th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee has already kicked off its annual meeting on Sunday. Every aspect of China’s major policies will be discussed during the two sessions, which is full of unique Chinese political characteristics.

The attention the two sessions receive from Chinese society is more than that for Western parliamentary meetings. This is probably because Western parliaments are places where different political parties and powers fight against and compete with each other, but the two sessions are meetings in which people discuss and mobilize the nation on what to do and how to get it done well. The latter is obviously much closer to ordinary people’s concerns.

Western people believe that their parliaments reflect true democracy. Yet confrontation and competition, as forms of Western-style democracy, have gradually deviated from their original mission and led to the continuing polarization of Western-style democracy. The two sessions of China, on the other hand, have been firmly focusing on formulating the tasks of the year, discussing ways to accomplish them, pointing out China’s various problems as well as promoting their solutions.

Those who believe that democracy is all about pushing the separation of powers and checks and balances to an extreme will find China’s two sessions boring. But those who care about economic development and advances in social welfare are expecting good news and hope.

These two mind-sets are irreconcilable. Which way is more effective? The long-term development of China and the West will tell.

The two sessions touch upon substantial quantities of issues every year, such as severe corruption and environmental problems several years ago and China’s economic downward pressure over the last two years. The two sessions will not dodge heatedly discussed issues at the top of the minds of the people.

Whether or not the Chinese political system is functioning well, the Western experience can only be used as a reference, not a benchmark. What China wants is a system that can best serve people’s well-being and it will keep improving its system based on such a principle. The Western system is not China’s criterion. Beijing will not imitate the former nor stand at the absolute opposite side. China also attaches significance to democracy and the rule of law, but the country’s path is based on China’s realities.

China’s ability to implement national independence and sovereignty as well as its firm pursuit that the ruling party must serve the people has determined that China will become better with each passing day on its own political path. The wish to lead its people to a better life is not a perfunctory plan but has been carefully carried out.

Over the years, China has always regarded steady improvement of our people’s lives as the fundamental guide for the country’s political and economic operations. The goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in 2020 can well reflect the fact.

Plans, decisions and resolutions for the most prominent problems of the moment will definitely be made during this year’s two sessions. It is hoped the two sessions will be fruitful.