16 Wednesday March 21, 2018 GLOBAL ‘TIMES | e,e e e CPC-led system a political innovation Editor’s Note: which is a necessary requirement The Two Sessions, the annual meet- for advancing reform. ings of China’s top legislative and / advisory bodies, have been under 4 GT: What do you see as the under- global spotlight for the past few ibd i lying reason for the institutional weeks. This year’s Two Sessions m7 _ |/% restructuring of the government are of extraordinary importance as i _ |\y_ passed during the Two Sessions? they have adopted the constitutional E Kuhn: The sweeping restructur- amendments, restructured govern- F ‘ing of the Chinese government ment institutions and elected the new streamlines the bureaucracy, national leadership. To understand av eliminates institutional conflicts what the institutional changes mean of interest between government for China’s future, as well as the bodies, aligns authority with policy agenda for the coming year, 1 Y responsibility, and, significantly, Global Times (GT) Washington- enhances the leadership of the based correspondent Hu Zexi talked y Party in the management as well to Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn (Kuhn) ‘a / , \ as the oversight of the govern- who is a long-time China observer, : - ment. Although the restructur- and author and editor of over 25 | x ing has multiple motivations, a books. Kuhn has been invited to Bei- prime driver is to support China’s jing to take a closer look at this year’s > continuing development under Two Sessions. a complex conditions — a slowing ( m “\ is economy, uncertain financial risk, GT: What kind of policy issues are , & { S unacceptable pollution, the special you following during the Two Ses- a y demands or innovation. sions? ae Given China’s challenges at Kuhn: The proposed amendments if ‘yf ©) home and abroad the government to the Constitution of the People’s ? I restructure is timely. Some media Republic of China give a road map =— Sg outlets describe it as a “reshuffle,” of areas