China's ceremonial legislature is set to meet Thursday, where it will unveil the country's policy direction and economic goals for the coming years. The meeting is held in Beijing, where the National People's Congress and its advisory body gather. The National People's Congress will ratify new laws decided by China's Communist Party leadership. While the nearly 3,000-member body technically votes, the vote is always almost unanimous. Also meeting is the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body composed of elite members of Chinese society, from businessmen to athletes. They also include representatives from China's minority groups, but the body has little power on issues of public policy. The gathering of these two bodies is called the Two Sessions. The political meetings have changed under President Xi Jinping's rule, with tighter scripts and less scope for debate. "A long, long time ago, it was a venue for policy deliberation," and even controversial ..