A press briefing on Hangzhou's 2026 Two Sessions is held. [Photo/Tide News]

Hangzhou will kick off its annual Two Sessions on Jan 20, with discussions set to shape the city's development over the next five years. Preparations are complete, officials said at a press briefing on Jan 16.

The fifth session of the 12th Hangzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will open on Jan 20, followed by the sixth session of the 14th Hangzhou Municipal People's Congress on Jan 21. Both meetings will be livestreamed, alongside interviews through the Officials Channel, Deputies Channel, and Committee Members Channel.

The four-day congress session (Jan 21–24) will see deputies review the municipal government work report, examine and approve the outline of Hangzhou's 15th Five-Year Plan (2025–30), deliberate on budgets and development plans, vote on key livelihood projects for 2026, and conduct elections.

The CPPCC session (Jan 20–23) will focus on consultative discussions, with special group meetings centered on building Hangzhou's 296X advanced manufacturing clusters and promoting high-quality urban development.

This year's meetings will also expand public participation, with business leaders, role models, and community representatives invited to observe key sessions, reflecting efforts to further institutionalize whole-process people's democracy.

A nighttime view of Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: visithangzhou]