The annual session of the Chinese Parliament is underway: it will deal with everything, from relations with Taiwan to birth policies and the consumption of dog and cat meat

China’s two legislative bodies will hold their annual plenary meetings in Beijing this weekend, with the participation of more than 3,000 representatives from all regions of this country of more than 1.4 billion inhabitants.

The agenda for the session, which opens this Sunday, includes bills on topics as diverse as the increase in birthsthe consumption of dog and cat meatsex education or Taiwan.

In this sense, one of the deputies declared that he will present proposals to promote the “civil exchanges” with Taiwan, a democratic island that Beijing considers part of its territory.

The same official recalled that “Beijing’s global strategy to resolve the Taiwan question” has strengthened in the last year, adding that “mainland China will accelerate national unification”.

Another proposition is increase the birth rate in the country. Among these is free education up to the end of university for all children born from 2024or the extension of maternity leave – hitherto reserved for full-time employees – to self-employed women farmers and farmers.

It is also planned to grant to unmarried women the same rights as married women and lift restrictions on the registration of children born out of wedlock.

Another of the proposals is to have a law approved on the matter cyberbullyingespecially after the suicide of a young woman who suffered a campaign of attacks on networks after posting a photo with dyed pink hair. The country does not currently have a legal definition of cyberbullying.

On the other hand, it is also requested that kindergartens have teaching materials sex education.

They want to regulate the “chaos” of digital influencers for young people and improve the content monitoring live in which children appear.

Another of the deputies wants to fight against the killing of dogs and cats and against trade and consumption of its meat.

The same legislator proposes an activity that goes against animal rights, namely that the population can access “the question of power shoot fireworks“During the holidays.

The use of these rockets is rregulated or even banned in many cities for safety reasons and for the noise disturbance it can generate. Zhao proposes it enable special zones.

These sessions rarely hold any surprises, as are their grades strictly controlled and the laws had previously been passed by the chiefs of the Communist Party of China (CPC)the highest instance of power in the Asian power.

Authorities shut down factories in the region on those days to ensure blue skies, deploy large numbers of police officers, and urge (and sometimes force) political dissidents to leave. go on holiday” away from the capital.

It is also the only time of year when the most powerful politicians in the country meet in one placewhich favors negotiations, contacts and the betrayals.

This meeting will also be the first since China reversed its strict “zero covid” policy, even as attendees and the media have been asked to stay put. quarantine in a hotel the night before it starts.

A statement released this week announced that the meetings would include discussions on “a plan to reform the institutions of the Party and the state,” which has led experts to speculate about a possible overhaul of the national security apparatus.

The release of details on military spending will offer signs of China’s confidence in the current geopolitical conditions, from tensions in the Taiwan Strait to the conflict in Ukraine.