For some years now, China’s annual gathering of its national legislature had been an increasingly disciplined and choreographed affair — its muted vibes practically an echo of deepening concern about domestic stagnation.
Not this time.
The National People’s Congress seven-day gathering, which concludes Tuesday in Beijing, came on the heels of a breakthrough in artificial intelligence by China’s home-grown startup DeepSeek that’s fired up investors, politicians and even regulators. It also followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-profile meeting with business chiefs including Jack Ma.