Interview: China's ongoing "Two Sessions" unique platform to discuss change: African expert

China's ongoing annual "Two Sessions" are a "unique platform" that will decide the economic, social and political future of the world's second-largest economy, Charles Onunaiju, Direcotor of Centre for China Studies in Nigeria told Xinhua in a recent interview.

This year's plenary sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are unique and very important because it is the first year of China's 13th Five-Year Plan for development, the expert said.

The sessions are held as China is transforming the country's investment-driven economic growth model to one fueled by domestic consumption of both goods and services, and new technologies.

China announced, among others, a growth rate target of 6.5-7 percent in 2016, with an average annual growth rate of at least 6.5 percent through 2020.

This major goal is aligned with the unique plan to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and takes into consideration the need to advance structural reform.

Onunaiju said the decisions made at the meeting so far deserved global attention, considering that China plans to create up to 50 million jobs or lift at least that number of people out of poverty, as well as bring almost 60 percent of the Chinese population to the urban centers.

"These are very epoch-making measures," he said. "Of course, we are going to see a slowdown like in any major adjustment, but the Chinese economy will still remain outstanding in the next five years till 2020."

The adoption of a range in its economic target is China's first since 1995, and this offers more flexibility for the government, Onunaiju noted, suggesting that the drop in China's economic growth will be compensated by an improved economy that is more inclusive, more results-oriented, highly productive and tackles the key challenges of its growing economy.

"I think the slowdown in itself is not a bad thing, it is to bring in the new factors in the economy. Generally, what is important is the performance, especially as it relates to the welfare of the Chinese, creating more jobs, lifting more people out of poverty, giving more urbanization, getting more Chinese covered by healthcare, (these) are all positives that impact the lives of the Chinese people and, of course, consequently, the Chinese economy will impact the rest of the world, being a key and fundamental country that drives the global economy," he said.

For many developing African countries that look up to China as a development partner, and see its developmental strategies as the template for their own development, this ongoing conference and its results would create more eye-opening opportunities, Onunaiju said.

He urged African countries to take a cue from the convocation of the CPPCC, describing it as a "very unique institution, a vehicle for consultation, cooperation and consensus-building."

"If there is any region where we need to build consensus and accommodation, where we need to entrench consultation, it is Africa," the expert said.

"I think the CPPCC is a unique institution and I urge Africa to look closely as this is a key institution that is all-inclusive, non-partisan," he said, adding that this consultative platform allows Chinese of different opinions and backgrounds to interact and reach national consensus on key issues. "I think Africa needs to pay attention to that particular platform," Onunaiju said. Endi