Flags displayed at Tian’anmen Square and atop the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. Photo: VCG

The Beijing Public Security Bureau has released a notice banning aerial vehicles in the capital’s administrative area from May 20 to 28, which observers said implied the upcoming annual two sessions will be shortened to seven days.

Beijing Daily reported on Wednesday that the move aims to strengthen the management of aerial vehicles of low altitude, low flight speed and small radar reflection area in order to ensure air safety during the two sessions - the plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country’s top legislature, and the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.

Photo: China News Service

This year’s two sessions have been postponed to late May due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The CPPCC session is scheduled to kick off on May 21, while the NPC session will start on May 22.

There has been no specific information on how long this year’s sessions will last, but observers said the notice from the Beijing Public Security Bureau implied that this year’s two sessions will be shortened from two weeks to seven days. 

According to the notice, all flying of balloons for sports events, entertainment and advertisements has also been banned from 0:00 of May 20 to 24:00 of May 28. For other kinds of flying activities, individuals and organizations have to apply to the related department of the military and Civil Aviation Administration of China. 

NPC deputies from Hubei Province have been in group quarantine since Wednesday, a source told the Global Times. An official from Gansu Province who will come to Beijing with deputies and members told the Global Times that Gansu deputies will arrive in the capital on May 20.

Global Times