The annual National People’s Congress has begun work in Beijing with the ruling Communist party grappling with China’s lowest growth rate in a quarter-century.br br Two thousand nine hundred members are expected to rubber stamp plans to rebalance the economy and restore dynamism. While China may appear to be leaping ahead of the rest of the world, the leadership fears it is running to stand still, and reforms are needed. br br “Deep-seated problems in the country’s economic development are becoming more obvious. The difficulties we are facing this year could be bigger than last year. The new year is a crucial year for deepening all-round reforms,” said Prime Minister Li Keqiang.br br Bringing to heel runaway monopolies that straddle the public and private sectors, and opening up the banking and finance systems are seen as crucial in the face of falling foreign investment and demand.br br 2015’s other priority is pollution, and the often-linked problem of corruption.