China’s legislature to meet with economy, Ukraine backdrop

BEIJING (AP) — China’s 3,000-member ceremonial parliament opens its annual session on Saturday with the government facing a slowing economy and international pressure over its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While domestic issues typically dominate the National People’s Congress, the war in Ukraine is highlighting the ideological confrontation between the American-led West and the competing world view of Beijing and Moscow. The Congress is expected to focus on domestic concerns, particularly boosting growth in the world’s second-largest economy. The Congress does little lawmaking but the event is used to announce broad goals for the economy and other issues, and comes months before leader Xi Jinping is expected to be granted a third five-year term.