When I was about to leave China Daily's Brussels bureau for Beijing to cover the annual session of National People's Congress, I had an enlightening interview with professor Paul De Grauwe, the European Commission president's former economic policy adviser. Toward the end of the interview, he told me he was extremely worried about Europe's massive youth unemployment.

"If our politicians don't bring economic growth and jobs, some young people, especially those in southern Europe, will become a lost generation," De Grauwe said.

When I arrived in Beijing, I was eager to speak with as many people as possible to find good stories for my paper. Many people are interested in the reshuffling of governmental personnel and responsibility, with new national lawmakers flocking to Beijing this week to determine who will take the top leadership positions to run the country. Some people look forward to more iron-fisted measures against corruption. And some are expecting policies to bridge income disparities.