Photo taken on May 22, 2020 shows flags on the Tian'anmen Square and atop the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature and political advisory body will start annual sessions this week, returning to their traditional March schedule after last year's events were postponed to May due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

As the year 2021 marks the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the world will watch how China, with the elimination of absolute poverty just declared, charts its course toward fully building a modern socialist country.

The fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is scheduled to open on Friday, a day after the opening of the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

In addition to hearing the annual work reports of the government, top legislature, top court and top procuratorate, lawmakers will also review a blueprint for China's development in the next five to 15 years -- the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

The following are some of the issues expected to be high on the agenda of the two sessions.