CCP’s Top Political Meetings Characterized by Questionable Economic Numbers, Consolidation of Power

News Analysis As the week-long key annual meetings—the “Two Sessions”—of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concluded on March 11, outside observers pointed to Beijing’s questionable economic data and CCP leader Xi Jinping’s centralization of power as key takeaways. China observers note that Xi implemented more authoritarian measures as the country’s economy declined. Consequently, they warn that the CCP is becoming increasingly insecure and could collapse at any moment. The CCP’s “Two Sessions” refers to the annual plenary sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC), the two houses of China’s rubber-stamp legislature....