On March 4, 2025, the political show of the Chinese Communist Party’s two sessions unfolded amidst internal and external crises, with a week-long meeting lacking any novelty as usual. The challenging political and economic situation has led the people to lose confidence in the future, resulting in continuous questioning of the CCP’s regime.
On March 9, Mr. Chen, a law PhD, questioned the proposals of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. He expressed that the national-level political agenda should focus on resolving major issues, while local governments, local People’s Congresses, and local CPPCCs should address trivial matters. Why should the top-level representatives of the CCP resolve these insignificant issues?
He cited the example of Dai Yin, a CPPCC member, proposing to enlarge the font size on drug instructions. Is this an issue that should be tackled by national-level representatives? This should be actively resolved by pharmaceutical companies, drug regulatory authorities, and local health departments. Is there a need for a national-level legislative body to address such matters?
Mr. Chen emphasized, “What the people are truly concerned about is how to make healthcare free, provide free basic education from elementary to high school for 12 years, and ensure affordable higher education. These are the most pressing issues for the people. The resolution of these issues depends on finance, which is intertwined with taxation, which in turn is linked to the operational efficiency of enterprises. Ultimately, the viability of enterprises stems from market vitality, something that China’s state-owned enterprises and central enterprises have failed to achieve.”
Analyzing further, he stated, “The failed experience of the Soviet Communist bloc shows that state-owned enterprises cannot thrive, necessitating the implementation of a market economy. The government should maintain order and create a sound market environment. By refraining from direct involvement in economic activities, vibrant market economy can thrive, ensuring stable fiscal revenue and sustained economic development, as opposed to the current situation of regulatory suffocation or laissez-faire approach. The government has strangled the market economy.”
Mr. Chen believes that for a successful market economy, political system reform is imperative. The CCP must abandon one-party rule, dismantle CCP officials at all levels, and eliminate all entities and officials related to the CCP party system, democratic parties, Communist Youth League, Women’s Federation that are simply feeding off the system. By cutting costs, addressing issues in education and healthcare would be fundamental. It is essential to let the people and the media have a voice and implement a fully independent judiciary system. “In essence, the issue of the market economy is a political issue. Without reforming the CCP’s one-party dictatorship, China cannot establish a true market economy, and the people’s issues like free healthcare and education cannot be addressed.”
Mr. Li from mainland China expressed his primary concern about economic problems, emphasizing that food safety, healthcare security, and educational reform are crucial. “Ultimately, it boils down to the system. When it comes to the system, other matters are fundamentally meaningless. For instance, cultivating children’s independent thinking and character is fundamentally contrary to their (CCP) interests. They do not want creativity and independent personalities. All problems come back to the system, something that cannot be resolved under the current CCP regime.”
He also mentioned issues related to food security, health, stating, “In today’s mainland China, having clean, hygienic, and safe food is essentially a luxury. Food safety has completely collapsed, leaving no room for a normal life.”
A mainland human rights lawyer told Epoch Times that the two sessions of the CCP have become mere performances. “I have found that very few people pay attention to it. Nowadays, Chinese farmers are living from hand to mouth, and many young people are choosing to ‘lie flat.’ Those who cannot cope dare not confront the authorities and end up jumping off buildings or into rivers. The majority in rural areas are elderly people and left-behind children, yet they are highly indoctrinated. The moment of rebellion in mainland China would only come when the people become total slaves.”
Mr. Chen stated that he never pays attention to the CCP’s two sessions and party congress, deeming them as a complete waste of taxpayers’ money, full of empty, false, clichéd, and meaningless words that do not address any substantive issues. Therefore, he has never paid attention to them for many years.
Mr. Wang, a scholar from mainland China, described the CCP’s two sessions as mere formalities that do not address any real issues. “The meetings where real problems are solved are never held publicly. These public meetings are just for show, raising hands and fulfilling a formality without addressing any problems. They are purely formalistic.”
According to him, the so-called People’s Congress system is only propaganda during the two sessions, used briefly and then forgotten. He called the two sessions a mere facade, akin to puppets used as rubber stamps.
Mr. Wang mentioned that people currently have no time to focus on political rights issues; the economy is the most concerning matter. “The economic situation in recent years has been terrible. Many people are burdened with mortgages and car loans. With the economy rapidly declining, incomes are falling while expenses are rising. This is the biggest difficulty and challenge faced by everyone in China, especially ordinary people.”
He pointed out that China’s economy is facing severe problems, with pension funds running out, young people having no employment prospects, and businesses closing down one after another. The CCP government is at a loss and has exhausted various stability measures. “Even if the CCP were to enact political and economic system reforms, it would be too little, too late. Moreover, with their current stubbornness in avoiding political reforms and neglecting economic reforms, China is heading towards a slow collapse or an imminent rapid disintegration.”