More than 800 overseas journalists are covering the two annual sessions of China's top legislature and the country's top advisory body. Many of them focus on the economy and social welfare.
Before the NPC opening, Olga Danasiichuk, from the National News Agency of the Ukraine, told CRI that the theme of her report this time would be 'economics'. "This is the main priority. We are all waiting for the speech by Mr. Wen (Chinese Premier), What is he proposing and what will be the outcome of this (stimulus) package that was adopted in November last year? Are there any results so far? I'm focusing on economics mostly," says Danasiichuk.
Having been in China for eight years and having covered many NPC & CPPCC sessions, Marije Vlaskamp, a correspondent from RTI in the Netherlands, says she will pay more attention to China's measures to tackle the financial crisis, "we are all looking at what's happening in China because the Chinese economy has a huge influence on European countries, especially my country, which is like one of the main economic import and export hubs through the Port of Rotterdam. So anything happening to the export and import situation world wide is also influencing our Dutch economy."
And as the National People's Congress kicked off on March 5 and Premier Wen's government report was released, it certainly has put China in the world spotlight.
For Melissa Chan, a reporter from Aljazeera English, this is her third time to cover the annual sessions. Interested in China's stimulus package policy, she says she was impressed by this year's government work report, "Usually the speech discusses many different issues in China. This year, it is the same, but there is a lot of focus on the economy, almost everything. That is mentioned indirectly or directly linked to the economy, which I think that is sort of emphasis we haven't seen before."
And Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, the ambassador of Denmark, said he was particularly impressed by two messages in the report, "the first one is that, apart from the important efforts to maintain high growth in China, reform and opening-up is continuing in all areas. And I think that is one very important message that the present economic circumstances are not an argument for slowing down but rather an argument for accelerating changes. Secondly, I know that the great emphasis on environmental issues, such as climate change, I think that is important also, not just for China but also for the rest of the world."
Foreign media are also looking forward to the Premier's press conference on the last day of the annual sessions where they will have a chance to ask further questions. Ben O'Hara Byrne from the Global National of Canada says he is interested in how the money invested can be effectively used to solve social issues.
He said, "At the end of the day, I think the important question for him right now is that, with all the money that's being spent and all the money they are planning on spending, how are they actually going to create jobs? How they can they make sure they find the steps that people need, such as the migrant workers?"
(CRI March 6, 2009)