Annual Shanghai People's Congress session opens with key tasks

The fifth session of the 15th Shanghai People's Congress (SPC) opened on Sunday at the Expo Center.

During the session, the city's legislators will deliberate and vote on proposals for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for the city's economic and social development and its long-term vision through 2035.

Gong Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai, gave a work report of the government for the last year to the opening plenary of the session on Sunday.

The city's economy expanded 1.7 percent in 2020 from the previous year, although it dropped 6.7 percent in the first quarter from the same period in 2019, Gong said.

The economic growth targeted for this year is over 6 percent.

Apart from the government report, the legislators will also deliberate on work reports of the standing committee of Shanghai People's Congress, Shanghai High People's Court and Shanghai People's Procuratorate.

Reports of the execution of the city's budget in 2020 and economic and social development plans will be deliberated, while the budget and plans for the new year will be put to a vote.

The session will close on January 27.