If you happened to be watching the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in China, something odd may have stood out to you – if you are especially eagle-eyed. China’s President Xi Jinping had something others didn’t: two cups of tea instead of one.
The meeting itself, known as the Two Sessions is almost a spectacle. The NPC is the country’s equivalent of a parliament that is, in theory, the most powerful state organ.
In reality, it acts as a rubber-stamp body for the ruling Chinese Communist Party, passing key laws on decisions that have already been made.
The BBC’s Asia Pacific editor Celia Hatton breaks down President Xi’s double-beverage choice, and explains why it might be a subtle display of power.
Video journalist: Mattea Bubalo
