In this March 9, 2018 photo, a Chinese soldier in usher uniform is silhouetted as he stands guard at an entrance door of the Great Hall of the People during a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. Chinese politics in the main is carried out in the shadows, shielded from public scrutiny and producing pre-determined outcomes through a process termed democracy according to socialism with Chinese characteristics. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)