Li Zhe, a reporter from China Nationalities Gazette,
found it more convenient to cover the "two sessions" this year, as
he could ferret out a large amount of information from an online
press center.
The two sessions refer to the ongoing annual sessions of China's
top legislature and top political advisory body, which are
considered the most important annual political events in China.
The website dedicated to releasing information about the two
sessions is not a fresh practice, but it is enriched with more
"subtle" details in favor of reporters this year.
Li, heavily dependent on the online media services, would resort
to the press center's Web site for relevant information every time
before he went for an interview.
He told Xinhua that he planned to interview Dao Meilan, a deputy
to the National People's Congress (NPC) and also a famous folk
dancer from southwestern Yunnan Province. "I will first search the Web
site for her background information and the contact number of the
Yunnan delegation coordinator, who can arrange the interview for
me."
Apart from the specific information about every deputy and their
motions or suggestions, the press center also posts on the website
a digital map, which marks the addresses of all 35 NPC
delegations.
"In the digital map, you can easily spot hotel addresses of the
Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet and Xinjiang delegations," said Li, who is
particularly interested in the motions tabled by ethnic
deputies.
"There is no 'technical obstacle' at all, in the contact with
the media center to interview deputies," he said.
Like Li, more than 800 overseas journalists may have a more
thorough taste of the media-dedicated "convenience" while covering
the two sessions this year.
Foreign journalists can for the first time contact and interview
lawmakers and political advisers "directly" in this year's two
sessions, thanks to the newly implemented regulations that give
them more freedom of reporting in China.
The new regulations, which took effect on Jan. 1, give foreign
reporters free access to reporting China in the run-up to and
during the 2008 Olympic Games.
Actually, China is trying to open all its economic and social
aspects to them, as illustrated by their "direct" touches on two
sessions.
The journalists can, if they wish, contact the media center
directly or the coordinator of every delegation beforehand to
search for interviewees.
"In previous two sessions, we didn't know where those lawmaker
and political advisors stayed, nor were we informed of media
officers' contact ways. There is a lot of improvement this year,"
said Manabu Sasaki, a reporter from the Beijing branch of the
Hokkaido Shimbun Press.
Sasaki had grasped the opportunity to find answer to his top
concern -- Are Chinese kids, mostly only children in their families
due to the family planning policy, all capricious?
Lou Wenying, an NPC deputy and vice principal of a primary
school in Jiangyan City of eastern Jiangsu Province, dispelled his
doubt, proving with facts that not all Chinese children are
egoistic.
"Thank you for making me have a better understanding of China's
education," said Sasaki, warmly shaking hand with Lou after the
interview.
Lou later told Xinhua that she didn't want to take the interview
at first, as she thought what foreign reporters said about China
might show a biased stand. "But now I feel it's a good thing to
exchange ideas with them, which can help clear misunderstandings,"
she said.
Compared with Sasaki, Saito Makoto, a correspondent from the
China General Bureau of Kyodo News, and Tetsuya Suetsugu, a
reporter from the China branch of the Yomiuri Shimbun (Japanese
Daily), were much sharper.
They raised a series of sensitive questions concerning tensions
over under sea energy deposits and disputes over the Diaoyu Islands
in a 40-minute interview with NPC deputy Gao Zhiguo, who is also
executive director of China Institute for Marine Affairs under the
State Oceanic Administration.
"The way to resolve these problems is through peaceful bilateral
negotiations for an agreement," said Gao after answering all their
queries.
In addition to the permission of direct contacts with the two
sessions' participants, foreign reporters are also provided with
more English versions of work reports and key documents this
year.
"The number of foreign reporters and media services they enjoy
is also an indicator of a country's openness. This year's two
sessions show that China is becoming one of the most attractive
places to the world's reporters," said a Hong Kong reporter who
declined to give his name.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)