For those who occurred to be watching the annual assembly of the Nationwide Folks’s Congress (NPC) in China, one thing odd could have stood out to you – if you’re particularly eagle-eyed. China’s President Xi Jinping had one thing others did not: two cups of tea as a substitute of 1.
The assembly itself, often called the Two Periods is sort of a spectacle. The NPC is the nation’s equal of a parliament that’s, in principle, essentially the most highly effective state organ.
In actuality, it acts as a rubber-stamp physique for the ruling Chinese language Communist Occasion, passing key legal guidelines on choices which have already been made.
The BBC’s Asia Pacific editor Celia Hatton breaks down President Xi’s double-beverage alternative, and explains why it could be a refined show of energy.
Video journalist: Mattea Bubalo