Domestic brands in focus at meetings

If you ask what some of my takeaways are from reporting on the 13th National People's Congress, I would say it's the growing popularity of made-in-China products in many places around the world as well as a continued respect for the attributes of the real economy.

Being a frequent visitor to the United Kingdom for years, I have mixed feelings every time I pay a visit to Bicester Village, a famous luxury brands outlet close to Oxford. At almost every shop - from Gucci, Burberry and Prada to Kate Spade - there will surely be Mandarin-speaking employees, because Chinese visitors make up about half of the visitors to the mall. Even the train station at the mall has included Mandarin in its PA system.

When you check labels on goods there, it won't come as too much of a surprise to find the handbags and shoes that catch your eye are made in China. Everyone knows that China is a manufacturing powerhouse.