Illustration of Tianwen 1 probe entering Martian orbit. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Driven by innovation

Stressing high-quality development, China has made great efforts in innovation, industrial upgrading and cutting-edge technologies.

China's spending on research and development last year rose 14.2 percent year-on-year to reach 2.79 trillion yuan, hitting a new high of 2.44 percent of GDP.

Over the past year, China has made many technological breakthroughs.

Its Mars probe, Tianwen 1, landed on Mars in May, ushering in a new chapter of China's deep space exploration. In October, China launched Shenzhou XIII, sending three astronauts to its core space station module, Tianhe, for a six-month mission.

Traditional manufacturing powerhouses quickened their pace of transformation with the help of facilitating policies. A legion of small but specialized enterprises sprang up to cement the country's industrial strength.

"Innovation will continue to be a keyword in promoting China's modernization," said Chen Liang, an associate research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of World Economy. "I believe that in 2022, China will further improve the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem and make new breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation."

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a barometer of effective governance for more than two years and China has undoubtedly been among the best performers.

China's dynamic zero-COVID approach has provided maximum protection to the health of its people while minimizing the impact on their daily lives and economic growth.

The solutions to major issues offered by lawmakers and political advisers at the two sessions give people a good chance to understand how the country is run.

At last year's two sessions, the NPC adopted amendments to the Organic Law of the NPC and the legislature's rules of procedure.

Wang Chen, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said the amendments provided an institutional guarantee for the upholding of "whole-process people's democracy" and safeguarding the people's role as masters of the country.