The China–Britain Business Council (CBBC) hosted a Two Sessions debriefing on Thursday, 12 March 2026. Chucheng Feng, Partner at Hutong Research, and Lucille Liu, Reporter at Bloomberg News, joined in person at CBBC’s Beijing office, while Yue Su, Principal Economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, joined online. The discussion was chaired by CBBC Managing Director, China, Tom Simpson.

The panel discussed the key outcomes of this year’s Two Sessions and explored the political and economic implications for UK businesses.

Key takeaways included:
 

➡️“Steady as she goes” economic approach:
GDP growth targets remain around 4.5–5%, signalling a cautious and stable policy stance rather than large-scale stimulus.

➡️Shift towards high-quality growth:
Policymakers emphasised sustainable development, including industrial upgrading, AI integration and more efficient allocation of investment.

➡️Focus on services and domestic demand:
Expanding services and boosting consumption remain priorities, with the sector expected to play a key role in job creation.

➡️Support for companies to “go global”:
Renewed encouragement for Chinese firms to expand overseas to strengthen supply chains and access global markets.

➡️Incremental support for consumption and welfare:
Measures such as consumption subsidies and social welfare improvements are likely to be gradual, reflecting fiscal constraints.