Press:

Sl. No. 21: National People’s Congress (NPC) is a legislative body of the Chinese government and elects new members every five years from different sections of the society. The following infographic contains an overview of 2977 delegates elected for the 14th NPC that is set to begin on 5th March. These delegates are elected from all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China along with a few members from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. These representatives are indirectly elected by provincial people’s congresses not only from the Communist Party of China but also from the 8 other recognized parties in China. The allocation of seats to each province is decided based on their latest population figures and it is ensured that each delegate would represent the same number of urban and rural population. However, representatives from People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police (PAP) comprise the largest share of total strength of NPC (9.43%). The President, Vice-President, Premier, Vice-Premier, other ministers of the State Council and all heads of important regulatory bodies are elected from among these NPC delegates. Compared to the 13th NPC (2018-2023), there is an increase in representation of women, non-Han ethnic groups along with technocrats in the 14th NPC. Further, the decline in the representation of party and government leading cadres indicates that more delegates from grassroot levels and diverse sectors are being represented at the highest legislative body of China.

Infographic prepared by Omkar Bhole (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 20: This infographic represents GDP of all Chinese provinces at constant prices in 2022. The scattered dots show year-on-year GDP growth rate for 2022. The blue line depicts national GDP average growth rate for the same period whereas dotted line indicate targeted GDP growth rates declared by 31 provinces for 2023. As per this data, there are 18 provinces which registered GDP growth rates above national average of 2.8%. Amongst these, neighbouring provinces of Fujian and Jiangxi achieved highest growth rate of 4.7%, followed by Gansu and Hunan (both grew at 4.5%). On the other hand, Shanghai and Jilin had a negative growth rate in 2022 due to prolonged lockdowns which affected economic activities in these provinces. However, China’s four eastern provinces – Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Zhejiang (all provinces with GDP over $ 1 trillion) continue to contribute over 1/3rd of China’s GDP of around $ 18 trillion. This clearly shows regional disparities in China’s economic growth and indicates that eastern provinces still continue to drive China’s economy. Moreover, all provinces have projected positive growth rates for 2023 as the withdrawal Zero-Covid policy is expected to bring more economic opportunities for China’s provinces than in 2022. Although Hainan and Tibet have estimated substantially higher growth rates, it will not impact China’s national economy significantly due to their smaller economies. However, all major economic provinces have projected a modest growth rate of about 5% which will be crucial to bring Chinese economy back on track in 2023.

Infographic prepared by Omkar Bhole (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 19: This infographic was prepared by Eerishika Pankaj and Omkar Bhole. It showcases the new 20th Politburo Standing Committee with designations and power hierarchy.

Sl. No. 18: Ever since the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) inception in July 1921, the different themes of the CPC’s National Congress have not only defined the Party’s objectives and goals but have also laid out its path ahead. In the infographic above, some of the themes from the major National Party Congress, that have taken place over the century, are discussed.

Infographic prepared by Ratish Mehta (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 17: The above infographic is a preliminary assessment of leadership turnover in the Central Committee. The list of 2296 delegates to the 20th Party Congress is indicative of the replacement rate, which has been determined by the number of 19th CC members excluded from the list of delegates to the Party Congress. This number gives us an idea of how many members will not be part of the 20th CC and how many more could be excluded from the 20th CC, based on replacement rates of previous Central Committees. So far, 46% of members in the 19th CC are not on the list of delegates to the 20th Party Congress. Analysis of replacement rates for previous congresses (refer to bar graph) suggest that around 60% of current CC members will not find a place in the 20th CC.

The Central Committee includes members from various sectors (refer to pie chart for 19th CC composition). The CC members are drawn from positions in the Party, state, military, provinces, SOEs and so on. The infographic shows the minimum replacement rate by sector in the 20th Central Committee. As per the list of delegates to the 20th National Party Congress, nearly 64% (39) military officials who were in 19th Central Committee, will not be part of the 20th Congress. Similarly, 46% (29) of central-level party officials of 19th Central Committee are already out of race for the 20th Central Committee. Further, 42.59% (46) of officials working in the State Council did not make it to the list of 20th Congress delegates. An almost similar number of provincial officials (45) share the same fate. Other officials include members from SOEs, private companies and GONGOs. The preliminary replacement rate of 46% will increase when the 20th Central Committee is announced on 22nd October. However, these minimum replacement rates serves as an indication for possible changes to be expected in the new Central Committee. For instance, high replacement rates among military officials may suggest reorientation of China’s military strategy.

Out of 203 full members of 19th CC, 90 members did not make it into the delegates list for the 20th Congress. Similarly, 80 out of 168 alternate members are also removed from the race to the 20th CC. Some important officials have been excluded from the 20th Central Committee like Le Yucheng, Song Tao and Ying Yong. Le Yucheng was former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to India from 2014-2016. Song Tao was Director of the International Liaison Department from 2015-2022 and was a member of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission until 2022. Ying Yong is currently Deputy Procurator-General of Supreme People’s Procuratorate and was made Party Secretary of Hubei after the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, replacing Jiang Chaoliang.

Possible reasons for their exclusion could be age limit, loyalty or competency. Similarly, some seats in Central Committee might accrue to specific party or state positions and thus, the person holding those positions become ex-officio members of CC.

A detailed analysis will be published when the new Central Committee is announced.

Graph prepared by Rahul Karan Reddy (Research Associate, ORCA) and Omkar Bhole (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 16: This infographic depicts changes in the composition of delegates to the 20th National Party Congress (NPC) compared to the 19th NPC. Women representation has marginally increased in the 20th NPC. Although proportion of frontline workers and ethnic minorities has remained the same, their internal composition has undergone some changes. This Congress has more young candidates (born after 1967) than 19th NPC. However, it has not affected the average age of delegates as expected.

Graph prepared by Rahul Karan Reddy (Research Associate, ORCA) and Omkar Bhole (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 15: Representing factions in Chinese politics, this infographic brings to the forefront emergence, dominance, membership and policy preferences of the Shanghai Faction, Youth League Faction and the Xi Jinping Faction. The related issue brief corresponding to this infographic can be accessed here.

Graph prepared by Omkar Bhole (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 14: This infographic represents the women candidates likely to be promoted to the Politburo in the 20th Party Congress. The related opinion piece corresponding to this infographic can be accessed here.

Graph prepared by Ahana Roy (Executive Outreach Head & Junior Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 13: This infographic compares India’s newly commissioned, indigenously-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, and China’s third aircraft carrier, CNS Fujian. Though details about China’s Fujian are limited, this infographic compiles all available information to compare the two aircraft carriers.

Graph prepared by Siddhant Nair (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 12: Representing PLA-N Modernization, this infographic brings to the forefront the key capabilities the Chinese Navy has, accentuated by the recent launch of its third aircraft carrier.

Graph prepared by Rahul Karan Reddy (Research Associate, ORCA).

Sl. No. 11: The number of mobile subscriptions refers to the number of SIM cards being used in each country and not the number of people using a mobile device. The indicator includes the number of post-paid subscriptions and active prepaid accounts. The number of mobile subscriptions in China has steadily grown from 2000 to 2020, driven mainly by a rising middle class, low-cost offering of budget phones and the expansion of telecommunication infrastructure in rural areas. The country crossed 1 billion mobile subscribers in March 2012, reflecting the prominence of the mobile phone in China’s economic and social spheres. Germany has been used as a benchmark because of its high performance in indicators of digital connectivity.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 10: China established its first internet connection in 1994, becoming the 77th country to go online. The number of internet users in China began to spike in 2006 and by 2011 the country had more internet users than the US. The massive rise in internet users was driven by several factors: migration to cities, rise of e-commerce, offerings of 3G services and the limited appeal of traditional media like TV for younger audiences. In the years leading up to the boom in 2006, the Chinese government rolled out legislation and regulations for companies offering internet services and general internet use. Germany has been used as a benchmark because of its high performance in indicators of digital connectivity.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA)
Sl. No. 9: Mobile and broadband speeds for download and upload are key measures of internet quality, network reliability and consumer satisfaction. Although there are significant disparities in the broadband internet speeds of coastal provinces and inland ones, China ranked 22nd out of 178 countries in 2019, with an average download speed of 90.6 Mbps. Since hundreds of millions of Chinese access the internet through their smartphone, mobile internet speeds are also important to gauge for internet access quality. With the largest 4G infrastructure in the world, China ranked 53rd of 139 countries in terms of mobile download speeds, averaging 28.9 Mbps in March 2019. Germany has been used as a benchmark because of its high performance in indicators of digital connectivity.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 8: Hospital beds per 1000 people or hospital bed density is an indicator for availability of healthcare resources in a country. In China, there are differences in the number of hospital beds in rural and urban areas, and Western counties in China have lower bed density compared to the East and South-eastern parts of the country. By 2009, the number of hospital beds per 1000 people in China was close to the number of average numbers of hospital beds per 1000 people in upper-middle-income countries.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA)
Sl. No. 7: Out of pocket (OOP) healthcare payments are expenditures borne directly by a patient or households from their income or savings. Out of pocket healthcare expenses are responsible for pushing millions of families into poverty every year. In China the share of OOP expenditure has steadily increased from 20% in 1980 to 49% in 2006. They have dropped steadily since 2006. The introduction of Catastrophic Medical Insurance (CMI) in China in 2013 (urban and rural) covers 1.01 billion people and provides financial protection to families from the risk of large medical expenditures.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 6: Current healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP provides an indication of the resources committed to healthcare relative to other sectors. Growth in healthcare expenditure in China was driven by increases in real expenditure per prevalent case, excess health price inflation and population growth. The global average for current healthcare expenditure in 2018 was 6.53%.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 5: China and India’s imports from Iran have grown steadily since the 1990s, only to drop steeply in 2018, largely due to US sanctions on Iran’s trading partners in 2019. China’s imports from Iran decreased sharply when the Trump Administration placed sanctions on Iran and threatened to punish Iran’s trading partners like China and India. Imports from Iran have been made expensive by the financial sanctions on Iranian banks which cut them off from the SWIFT system.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 4: China’s imports from Russia have expanded significantly since 2009 and Beijing has become Russia’s top export market. For 2021, China’s imports from Russia were worth 79.3 billion USD, with oil and gas accounting for nearly 56% of that. Total trade between Russia and China reached a record high in 2021 (146.9 billion USD), growing by 35.9% year on year, according to China’s customs agency. Russia enjoys a trade surplus with China and since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, China has become Russia’s biggest export partner.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA)
Sl. No. 3: Color TV Sets per 100 Rural Households (1998-2018)

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 2: The consumption of consumer durables in rural China is driving the fastest growing home appliances market in the world. The rise in consumption of goods like refrigerators is driven by several factors other than increases in disposable income. The popularity of e-commerce is driving sales of consumer goods in rural areas. Chinese consumers increased their spending on home appliances in 2019, with more than 40% of orders placed online.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).
Sl. No. 1: Washing machines, like other consumer durables, have become prevalent in provinces across China. The use of home appliances is an indicator of the growing appetite for consumer goods in rural China. Provinces with significant number of washing machines in 1998 were generally coastal provinces. The adoption of technologies like washing machines, refrigerators and TVs was also aided by improvements in the provision of public goods in rural areas.

 

Graphs prepared by Rahul Karan (Research Associate, ORCA).