Chongqing - As Wednesday marked the beginning of the ongoing Chongqing Two Sessions, the annual plenary meetings of the Municipal People's Congress (MPC) and the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), foreign consul generals, consulate staff members, and other diplomats were invited to sit in and watch the live of the opening ceremony at Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office (FAO). 

The Chongqing Two Sessions are held every year around this time before the national Two Sessions, namely the annual plenary meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, and the National Committee of the CPPCC, China's top political advisory body.

Deputies of the Chongqing MPC and members of the CPPCC Chongqing Committee will gather from January 20 to 25 this year, to submit economic and social development proposals, and to deliberate on and approve of the city's 14th Five-Year Plan.

Due to regular epidemic control and prevention measures, the event was held in the Multifunction Hall of the building of the Chongqing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, with a big screen broadcasting the live scenes inside the Chongqing Great Hall of the People, where the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth CPPCC Chongqing Committee was held.

The attendees include the city's consuls-general of the Cambodia, Denmark, acting consul-general of Uruguay and Philippines; acting head of Belarusian Consulate General in Chongqing; deputy consuls-general of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Italy; consuls of the consulates-general of Canada, and Hungary; representatives and staff members of the Liason Office of Hong Kong SAR in Chongqing; as well as some other foreign consular employees.

"As I've learned, the Chongqing Two Sessions is the most important event in guiding the works of the municipal government... I congratulate Chongqing for managing through the unfortunate flooding and achieving such tremendous results since last year despite COVID-19," said Anteneh Tariku Feleke, consul general of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Chongqing, who also attended last year's Two Sessions.

Some of the diplomats attending Wednesday's virtual meeting are also expected to sit in on the following Two Session events, including hearing the annual Government Work Report of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government scheduled for Thursday, at the time of the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Fifth Chongqing Municipal People's Congress.