China’s parliament is being used to highlight Xi Jinping’s power

The annual meeting of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress, is a rubber-stamp affair. But the week-long session that began on March 5th is important. After a year of grim news about the country’s economy, investors want to know that the leadership has good ideas for steering it out of trouble. Citizens want reassurance that the state will ease their woes. The gathering’s message, however, will satisfy few. Even more than in previous years, the congress is being used to show off the absolute power of China’s leader, Xi Jinping. It is revealing a growing disconnect between his policymaking and the country’s urgent needs.