Inside the nation's collective power to drive action

For my many years covering the annual two sessions, the delegates' group interviews, ministers' press conferences, and open days of provincial delegations have become all too familiar scenes.

The timetable changes little from year to year, and the routine remains largely the same. At first glance, it may seem that every year's gathering looks similar.

But after attending the two sessions for several years, I have come to realize that the real changes rarely come in dramatic moments. What looks unchanged on the surface often reflects a deeper stability that allows policies to move from blueprint to reality.

One example that best illustrates this comes from Liao Hong, an NPC deputy from Fujian province whom I have interviewed for four consecutive years. Each year when she arrived in Beijing, she brought new research based on her work related with agriculture and soil. The first time we spoke, she talked about the difficulties local tea farmers were facing.

The following year, she shared the first results of pilot programs she had helped promote. In later interviews, she described how those programs had expanded and begun to benefit the community. Over the years, I could clearly see how her suggestions turned into actions, and how those actions led to measurable change.

Her personal growth as a deputy reflected a broader pattern I often observe at the two sessions — a perfect example of "without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles".

Another moment that impressed me this year came from one of the press conferences, where Lei Haichao, director of the National Health Commission, spoke about concrete outcomes of last year's healthy weight management initiative.

According to him, more than 5,500 medical institutions have opened weight-management clinics; cities have extended fitness trails to encourage exercise; some cafeterias now label food with calorie information; and hotels in some regions provide weighing scales in guest rooms so travelers can monitor their health. These are small scenes, but are tangible changes that directly affect people's everyday lives.

A third detail came from something as ordinary as transportation. New energy vehicles have appeared in the government work reports for years as part of long-term goals for green development. This year, however, the change was visible even outside the meeting venues. In the parking areas outside of the Great Hall of the People, more and more cars carry green license plates, showing how goals mentioned repeatedly over the years were steadily becoming reality.

Experiences like these have changed the way I look at the two sessions. The similar procedures do not mean that nothing is changing. They provide a stable framework in which long-term plans can move forward step by step, giving policies the chance to take root and produce lasting results.

It is the ability to deliver — the capacity to follow through on commitments and translate plans into action. It is also a huge strength of China: to deliver on its promises consistently, quietly, and reliably. Many changes may seem small in isolation, but over time they form a clear and continuous line of progress.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), another stage of long-term planning is already under discussion. In a world increasingly marked by uncertainty, such continuity and predictability have become a rare resource. The ability to set long-term goals, follow through on them, and steadily turn them into reality provides confidence at home and adds a stabilizing element to the international landscape. In times of turbulence, that kind of steadiness is not only valuable — it is essential.