The Press Center for the upcoming National People's Congress (NPC)
and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is
formally up and running at the China Hall of Science and Technology
on February 25. Located at No. 3 Fuxing Road, Beijing, the center
is responsible for handling certificates of interview and arranging
Chinese and foreign correspondents to cover the two sessions.
The Press Center has set up the Administrative Office, the Press
Conference Office, and the Liaison Office which is divided into the
Domestic Correspondent Group, the Correspondent Group of Hong Kong,
Macao and Taiwan as well as the Foreign Correspondent Group.
The China Hall of Science and Technology has temporarily stopped
its normal business operation. From February 25, 160 of its 220
rooms will serve the Press Center and four of six elevators in the
hall will be for the use of staff and correspondents of the center.
During the period of the conferences, over 100 staff of the Press
Center will live there, working 24 hours a day, without break.
The center will provide Chinese and foreign correspondents with
relevant documents, materials and schedules of the sessions and
provide an information inquiry service. A kiosk display platform
for Xinhuanet, peopledaily.com.cn and the china.org.cn has been set
up for online information inquiries from Chinese and foreign
correspondents. A multi-media database, opened by Xinhua News
Agency, can basically satisfy all inquiries on the development of
the sessions and other information requirements for the
conferences.
The first session of the 10th NPC and the first session of the 10th
CPPCC National Committee will begin in Beijing on March 5 and March
3 respectively. Sessions in the year of re-election usually last
for a longer time than sessions in previous years.
According to the Press Center, over 2,000 correspondents came to
cover the two sessions last year. It is estimated that more
correspondents will come this year. Ms Ai, from the Reception
Department of the CPPCC work group, said they had handled interview
certificates for over 1,000 correspondents so far. It is reported
that the registration for foreign correspondents starts on February
26. The final registration statistics will be publicized in two to
three days.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, February 27, 2003)