China’s National People’s Congress convened on Monday, presenting an opportunity for officials to air policy concerns behind closed doors, Reuters reported. The congress, made up of some 3,000 delegates vetted by the Chinese Communist Party, is largely considered a rubber-stamp parliament that approves decisions made by senior CCP officials. However, the approximately 10-day session does provide some room for members to air popular grievancess and lobby for policies. “[Popular discontent] will definitely be reflected in the NPC in calls for more debate about reform and more pressure for the government to act,” said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. Many analysts expect the event to focus on economic reforms, which are widely thought to have stalled in recent years. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advising group which solicits input from non-party interests, is also in session.