BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping has joined discussions with national lawmakers and political advisors on the country's economic and social development for the year during the "two sessions."

The "two sessions," the annual gatherings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), offer observers worldwide a window into how China formulates major policies and measures involving political, economic and diplomatic affairs.

Overseas experts have said that institutional strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics have been clearly manifested in the country's practices of tackling challenges and stimulating development, and enabled China to bring more benefits to the world.

INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHS

When visiting national political advisors attending the fifth session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC on Sunday, Xi said that through practices such as responding to COVID-19 and winning the battle against poverty, the strengths of China's political and governance systems have become more evident. Order in China stands in stark contrast with disorder in the West.

In the eyes of Yuri Tavrovsky, a professor with the People's Friendship University of Russia, socialism with Chinese characteristics has significant advantages.

With these advantages, the professor said, China has made notable achievements in such fields as pandemic prevention and control, and poverty eradication, which have improved people's well-being and advanced social development.

Azza Radwan Sedky, a columnist for the Egyptian newspaper Ahram, said China's political system and governance system are clearly accepted and enjoyed by its people, which can be seen in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and in the process of eliminating absolute poverty.

China has quickly brought the epidemic under control, while some Western countries are still plagued by it, said Sedky, who is also a professor of communication, noting that "the living standards of the Chinese people are constantly improving."

WHOLE-PROCESS PEOPLE'S DEMOCRACY

When it comes to the well-being of the public, there is no such thing as a trivial matter, said Xi during his meeting with political advisors, pledging to give extra attention and care to the people in difficulty, and to help them resolve problems.

Charles Onunaiju, director of the Center for China Studies in Nigeria, said China's whole-process people's democracy is inclusive and participatory, noting that it addresses substantive issues of livelihood, and offers people opportunities to develop and to contribute to society. "This is the essence of democracy."

Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank, said whether a model of democracy works should be judged by the people.

Addressing poverty and ensuring that the people live a productive life concern a country's biggest national and public interests, he said, stressing that China's democracy is a true people's democracy.

HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT

"Putting into practice our new development philosophy is the path we must take to develop our country into a strong nation in the new era," Xi said on Saturday when participating in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region delegation's deliberation at the fifth session of the 13th NPC.

Xi also expressed hope that people in Inner Mongolia would coordinate efforts in epidemic control and economic and social development, and unswervingly follow the path of high-quality development that prioritizes ecological conservation and pursues green development.

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, said the Chinese government has been committed to green development, and set its goals for addressing climate change.

China will accelerate the transformation of its development model, promote high-quality economic development and strengthen environmental protection, he noted.

Greek scholar Pelagia Karpathiotaki said "China's role in the global economic recovery is extremely important as has been seen in the past," adding that China's economic stability and its initiatives to promote international economic cooperation would make major contributions in these difficult times.

Preserving nature, tackling climate change and establishing new forms of sustainable economic activity are "a human task of global dimension," said Michael Schumann, chairman of Germany's Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, adding that Germany and China can jointly make significant contributions to the cause.