China is considering postponing the annual meeting of its national parliament scheduled in early March, as the country grapples with the outbreak of a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
Every year, the National People's Congress takes place for at least 10 days from March 5 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where around 3,000 delegates gather from across the nation to discuss and endorse key policies for the coming year.
But amid the spread of the new virus, the government is leaning toward postponing the meeting to late March or even later, numerous officials told Kyodo News. A final decision will be made based on when the outbreak reaches its peak, they said.