China in the global spotlight as its annual political congress gets underway

The huge and highly choreographed set piece of the Chinese political calendar got underway Friday with around 3,000 Communist Party officials and military delegates descending on Beijing.

Officials who donned face masks and have been tested for the coronavirus filled the Great Hall of the People — built under Mao Zedong — as party leaders hold court amid the pandemic to pass major legislation for the year ahead.

The 13th National People's Congress is predominantly an economic affair, with China setting its target for gross domestic product growth in the coming year. But this year, it will also cast a spotlight on how China, vying for global influence, has dealt with its moment of international scrutiny as a result of the deadly pandemic.

Read the full article and more in NBC News.