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The Two Sessions is China’s annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the national political advisory body.

The fifth annual session of the 13th NPC is scheduled to open on March 5, and the fifth session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee is set to begin on March 4.

The Two Sessions is a key annual event in China’s political calendar that aims to set the country’s national agenda. The policies adopted during Two Sessions do not just impact China but potentially the world, including Africa.

As such, a lot of interest from Africa will be focused on China as the world continues to battle common challenges and seek inspiration to revitalize their socioeconomic systems.

One of the areas that will concern Africa regarding China’s Two Sessions pronouncements is the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s continued support in tackling it.

China has been very instrumental in Africa’s COVID-19 response donating millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses and personal protective equipment, greatly strengthening the continent’s resilience following the onset of the pandemic.

China also sent teams of health experts to several African countries to collaborate with local medical workers to support efforts to fight the pandemic.

Though Africa is now transitioning out of the pandemic phase of its COVID-19 outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus has not been eradicated completely from the continent and hundreds of millions of people have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Africa is set to benefit from the transfer of mRNA vaccine technology which has proved crucial to the fight against COVID-19, but building significant capacity to serve the entire population will take time. Therefore, China’s continued role in Africa’s response strategy will be important in maintaining low infection rates and deaths and achieving the WHO’s vaccination targets.

Another area that will interest Africa is China’s economic growth and targets. The African economy faced debilitating COVID-19 challenges but showed resiliency in part due to active support from China and other markets that enhanced Africa’s export capacity.

According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, total bilateral trade between China and Africa in 2021 hit 254.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 35.3 percent year on year, among which, Africa exported 105.9 billion dollars of goods to China, up 43.7 percent year on year.

Meanwhile, a report by Swiss-African Business Circle released last month indicated that China maintained its position as the largest investor in Africa over the last 10 years.

The expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station and Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Zimbabwe are just a few examples of recent Chinese investment in the continent reflecting China’s strong commitment to Africa’s growth.

These developments were made possible because of China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 8.1 percent — the highest in around a decade.

Therefore, the setting of China’s economic growth target for the year during the NPC meeting is vital as it will serve as the basis of China’s economic policies, which include its investment in Africa.

China is also actively participating in reforming the global governance system so as to make globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all.

As Africa seeks to have a greater voice and recognition in global affairs, this bodes well for the continent as China seeks to uphold true multilateralism, including fast-tracking the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In these areas and others, like technology and cultural exchanges, Africa will seek even greater cooperation with China as it seeks to maximize the potential of its youth bulge and continue its growth trajectory as it generally has over the past decade with China’s strong support.