Chinas Two Sessions Open Amid Increased Defense Spending, Military Purge, and Iran Uncertainty

A general view as delegates attend the closing session of China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11, 2025. Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesNews AnalysisAs the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) convenes its most important annual political meetings this week, a series of developments, including rising military spending, a deepening purge within the armed forces, and upheaval in Iran, are converging at a sensitive time for Beijing.