China wraps it’s Congress meet amid rumours over missing Chairman

Chinese parliament session ends with concerns over economy, absence of chairman Zhao Leji, and Trump's tariff war impact.

The annual meeting of the Chinese parliament ended with rumours swirling around the absence of its chairman Zhao Leji and concerns over the slowing economy amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff war as well as sluggish domestic consumption.

Curtains came down on the week-long annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) on Tuesday (March 11, 2025) as about 3,000 lawmakers much on the expected lines endorsed the government work report, the budget, besides the 2025 plan for national economic and social development.

The annual session attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also heads the Communist Party and the country's military, ended on a note of uncertainty over the absence of Mr. Zhao since Monday.

However, it was officially clarified Mr. Zhao, 68, was absent because of “respiratory tract infection”.

For the first time in recent history, the chairman of China’s top legislative body was absent at the closing of its parliamentary meeting, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

It is also the first time in decades that the NPC closing meeting was not attended by all Politburo Standing Committee members, it said.

On Monday (March 10, 2025), Mr. Zhao was also absent from the closing of the annual session of the advisory body of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which also holds its meeting every year along the NPC.