In an unexpected statement, China eliminates yearly conferences by premier

The Chinese government announced Monday that it will end an annual news conference by the premier, which was one of the few times a top Chinese leader accepted questions from the media.
 

The National People's Congress spokeswoman, Lou Qinlan, stated on the eve of the commencement of the legislature's annual session that Premier Li Qiang would not hold a press conference at the end of the meeting, as has been customary.

Lou stated that the congress would provide more opportunity for journalists to ask questions of government ministers and other officials, as well as the almost 3,000 delegates.

If there are no unique circumstances, the premier's press conference will not be held in the next years, he stated, without providing additional reason.

The weeklong gathering of the mainly ceremonial congress, which begins on Tuesday, is being eagerly watched for any clues of what moves the administration may take to help the struggling economy. Premier Qiang will submit an annual report during the opening, which is expected to reveal the government's 2024 economic growth target.

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