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March 01, 2024
Focus This Week
A community space to discuss the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

Dear Focus Reader,

It's that time of year again: China's policy meetings, known as the "Two Sessions," are set to begin on Monday. The annual meetings are where the Chinese government typically unveils any major policy updates.

This year, it's expected that Beijing will use the meetings to make any personnel changes and to complete the transition of new appointments to the Foreign and Defense Minister roles, after last year's picks, Qin Gang and Li Shangfu, were removed from their positions in July and October, respectively.

Anticipated discussions will likely focus on the economy, including the government's "new model" for the property sector, local government financing and fiscal reforms, and other stimulus options.

Ahead of the sessions, the 24-member Politburo, the Communist Party of China's top decision makers, gathered on Thursday for the final time before the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) meetings commence. The officials came together primarily to review the government work report that will be released at the NPC, which is expected to announce the country's economic growth rate target and detail 2024 plans. They also indicated Beijing's intention to reinforce fiscal measures in order to bolster the economy, amidst ongoing uncertainty about the nation's business environment and long-term economic challenges.

The language from this meeting echoed that of the economic workforce conference in December, where 2024 policies were likely set, but analysts remain hopeful that Premier Li Qiang will outline more robust stimulus policies in his work report to the NPC.

Stay in the know about the latest China-U.S. developments by catching up on our latest Focus, including topics on China-U.S. cooperation, global AI regulations, and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Focus Insights
Quote of the Week
"The U.S. is feeling an ever-stronger sense of urgency in deepening technological competition with China…This reflects a significant change in U.S. strategic thinking about technological competition with China and indicates that the U.S. will create more barricades for Chinese research and development…China must do its best to guarantee the sustainability of its own development."
Zhao Minghao
Professor, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University

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60


The 60th Munich Security Conference was held in February 2024, an internationally renowned forum on global strategic and security policies, with themes related to security challenges faced by Europe or the transatlantic community.


Learn more in "Experiencing the European Atmosphere in Munich," by Sun Chenghao, Fellow, Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University.

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A look into cultural stories from our affiliate platform, The China Current.

China's Hidden Century | Tasmin Little

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The recent "China's Hidden Century" exhibition at London's British Museum provided a fascinating insight into the lives of individuals in 19th-century China, with over 300 artifacts from emperor's clothing and impressive scrolls to a straw cape, brought together under one roof for the first time.
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Question of the Week:

In our Focus Insights section, we shared an article by Curtis Chin and Sudarshan Ramabadran, which emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining trust among nations.


We want to hear from you:


In your opinion, what actions can world leaders take to rebuild trust between nations, especially amidst growing geopolitical tensions?


Submit your thoughts to USeditor@chinausfocus.com for a chance to be featured in next week's Focus This Week.

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About Focus This Week

Prepared by China-US Focus editorial teams in Hong Kong and New York, this weekly newsletter offers you snap shots of latest trends and developments emerging from China and the U.S. every week. It is a community space to exchange thoughts and ideas about the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

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