"Two sessions" best windows into what China is doing: Foreign journalists

A foreign journalist asks questions to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about China's foreign policy and foreign relations at a press conference on the sidelines of the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2017. (Photo by Shi Jiamin from People’s Daily)

The annual "two sessions" are not only high-profile political events in China, but also big event of the news world. During the two-week long political season, foreign reporters sent by their media outlets delivered China stories and plans to the world with their reports.

“The two sessions offer a rich mine to dig up news”

Johnny Erling, a Beijing-based correspondent with German daily newspaper Die Welt, said that the two sessions offer a rich mine to dig up news and are best windows into China's development, because lots of policies will be announced at this season.

"The two sessions are more open. The organizer has offered more convenience for reporters, such as arranging on-site simultaneous interpretation service, opening the WeChat accounts of National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), keeping us informed of the meeting agenda and preparing the speech material for us," Jeremy Koh, Channel News Asia's Correspondent in Beijing told the People's Daily.

Rita Fatiguso, China correspondent for the Italian leading business daily newspaper II Sole 24 Ore, said it is her 4th two sessions, and the organization work is going better and better.

“I really appreciated that the ministries strolling at North Gate can answer foreign reporter's ques-tions,” she said.

Foreign reporters sit on the floor to let out the news release as quickly as possible after the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) opened on March 5, 2017 in Beijing. (Photo by Shi Jiamin from People’s Daily)

“China's economic development plays a crucial role in world”

The two sessions have provided a wide range of topics for reporters to choose from.

"I'm very interested in China's economy, which is crucial to the world," Jeremy Koh said. The reporter stressed that news about the two sessions have been broadcast for 24 hours non-stop and made the daily headlines of Channel News Asia these days.

Koh added he was interested in the press conference of the Minister of Environmental Protection, because the whole world is now following on how China will control smog in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas.

Rita said the topics she was interested in include China's target for GDP growth in 2017, military expenditure, cutting overcapacity and the "Belt and Road" initiative. She has raised questions to the Minister of Finance Xiao Jie about how China is managing the local debt risk.

Camera crews at the opening meeting of the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) on March 5, 2017 in Beijing. (Photo by Shi Jiamin from People’s Daily)

“The government work report is very persuasive”

It is the third time for Sadyk Akizhanov, a Beijing-based correspondent with Kazakhstan Kazin-form International News Agency, to report the two sessions.

He said readers in Kazakhstan are very concerned about the two sessions. The Kazakh reporter believes the Chinese deputies have raised many targeted proposals and suggestions, offering basis for the government to make the right and scientific policies. "I can see China's political system wins support from its people.” he added.

Han Yonghong, China News Editor at Singapore Chinese language daily newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, said her newspaper has sent 6 reporters to the two sessions, including 3 from the head-quarters.

Han said each time she could learn something from reporting the two sessions, China's most cen-tralized and widely participated platform to discuss national affairs and announce new policies.