The Government Work Report is one of the major highlights in China’s political agenda. Issues included in the document affect everyone’s life in the country, and perhaps, the whole world. But do you know its history, how it is drawn up, and why it’s significant?

Every March, the Government Work Report is delivered by the Chinese premier at the annual plenary session of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top organ of state power.

It reviews what the government has done and achieved in the previous year, and maps out its major goals, policies and agenda for the coming year. It is a guideline for ministries and local governments to turn these policies into reality.