CPPCC Opens with “Procedural Formality”; Strict Checks on Travelers Entering Beijing

File photo: Plainclothes security personnel walk outside the Great Hall of the People during the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress in Beijing, China, on March 5, 2024. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[People News] The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened in Beijing on Tuesday, March 4. On the same day, Beijing imposed traffic restrictions, causing massive congestion on Chang’an Avenue as vehicles carrying CPPCC members were given priority. Additionally, travelers entering Beijing faced strict security checks, sparking public dissatisfaction.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the third session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. From the morning onward, strict traffic controls were implemented across the city. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau’s Traffic Management Department issued a travel advisory, warning that some roads would be subject to temporary traffic control measures and advising citizens to adjust their travel plans and routes, encouraging the use of public transportation.

Traffic Controls Cause Severe Congestion on Major Roads

Beijing resident Ye Jinghuan recounted how she encountered the convoy of CPPCC members while driving on the city’s Second Ring Road at 10 a.m. She told RFA: “I was driving on the Second Ring Road when I ran into the delegates’ motorcade. The road wasn’t completely closed, but out of three lanes, only one was left for regular vehicles. Three batches of government buses had already passed, and now I’m stuck on an overpass, completely motionless. I have no idea how far the jam stretches. This trip usually takes 30 minutes, but now I have no clue how long it will take.”

Strict Luggage Checks for Travelers Entering Beijing

Not only was traffic within Beijing affected, but travelers coming from other provinces also faced stringent security inspections. Shandong resident Zhou Gang told RFA that travelers entering Beijing by train were subjected to thorough searches, and even highway entry points were tightly controlled. “There are police officers at every highway entrance, and all vehicles heading into Beijing are being inspected.”

The overseas social media account “Li Laoshi Is Not Your Teacher” (@whyyoutouzhele) posted on X, revealing that travelers taking trains to Beijing were subjected to a second round of security checks. A related video showed security personnel at Tengzhou High-Speed Rail Station in Shandong meticulously examining every item in passengers’ luggage. A shocked passenger exclaimed: “Oh my god! Why is it this strict?”

Another video showed a high-speed rail waiting area in Shenyang, packed with police and security personnel conducting individual bag searches on every passenger. A netizen sarcastically commented: “This is what they call cultural confidence and institutional confidence.”

Petitioners Under Tight Control as Authorities Escalate Stability Maintenance

Beijing resident Ms. Li from Fangshan revealed that villages known for housing petitioners were heavily monitored, with numerous police cars parked in the area and multiple petitioners taken away. “They are arresting people every day. Police cars and SWAT vehicles are stationed inside and outside the village. The crackdown is intense. Petitioners from Liaoning have it even worse—once they are sent back from Beijing, they are immediately detained. Take Lin Mingjie, for example—on February 28, he was abducted on the street and then completely disappeared. Now, almost all petitioners sent back to their hometowns end up detained. The situation is really bad.”

Rights activist Zhu Le from Qingdao said he was also under strict police surveillance: “I can’t go anywhere. They started tailing me several days ago. The police explicitly told me that security measures for the Two Sessions would last until the 20th, and that I wouldn’t be allowed to leave my home until then. Even after the sessions end, they said they would continue monitoring me for a few more days.”

Jiangsu resident Mr. Lu believes that as China’s economic situation worsens, the authorities will only tighten their control over society: “Every year, they crack down harder. The more problems they have, the stricter their control.”

Two Sessions Reduced to “Procedural Formality”; Public Indifference

Last year, China’s National Two Sessions lasted for seven days, with the CPPCC session running for six days, overlapping with the National People’s Congress (NPC). However, starting last year, the NPC canceled the Premier’s press conference, a tradition of more than 20 years. In January and February this year, several localities, including Beijing, canceled provincial and municipal government press conferences. Many believe this reflects a further weakening of media oversight by the authorities.

A Shanghai-based netizen, Mr. Wang, remarked that the CPPCC and NPC sessions have become mere formalities: “These meetings are just going through the motions. There’s nothing substantive anymore. Even the Premier’s press conference is gone. In Shanghai, they canceled the press conferences for the local Two Sessions as well. They hold these meetings for themselves; they don’t care about public participation. The issues that people care about are completely ignored.”

Proposals at the CPPCC Unlikely to Be Implemented

The opening session of the CPPCC was presided over by Chairman Wang Huning, with Xi Jinping and other top officials in attendance. During the session, CPPCC members were scheduled to discuss and propose recommendations on key economic and social issues. However, outside observers widely believe that the proposals made by CPPCC members are unlikely to be adopted, rendering the conference more of a symbolic gesture than a forum for meaningful policy-making.