BEIJING : Endorsing Capitalist Course

China’s nominal Parliament, the National People’s Congress, opens an annual session Friday at which it is expected to endorse plans for an acceleration of China’s market-oriented economic reforms.

Also due for discussion are plans to build a 1.6-mile-long dam across the Yangtze River at the famous Three Gorges. If built, the dam would be the world’s largest hydroelectric project, creating a 350 mile-long lake and generating 18 million kilowatts of electricity.

Analysts will be watching to see if the congress approves any high-level changes, including possibly replacing hard-liners in the government ministries of culture and propaganda, and in the state-controlled media.