Flags flutter in the wind under a blue sky in Beijing, March 1, 2015. The CPPCC and NPC sessions will start on March 3 and March 5 respectively. [Photo/IC]

Why March?

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) began in 1949 while the first National People's Congress (NPC) was held five years later. Since 1985 the two sessions have been held every March because the NPC needs time to draft the national development plan based on the previous year's statistics that are released in January or February. March is also a perfect window to avoid a clash with the Spring Festival holiday that usually occurs during the first two months of the year.