Second Session of the Eleventh National People’s Congress (NPC) Second Session of the Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)
Handbook of Foreign Journalists Covering the NPC and CPPCC Sessions
Press Center of the Two Sessions
March 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen，
Welcome to cover the Second Session of the Eleventh National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Second Session of the Eleventh National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to be held in Beijing. The Press Center of the two sessions is located at the Media Center, (11B Fuxing Road, Beijing). Reception for foreign Journalists is at the Multi-function Hall of the 2nd Floor of the Media Center. Staff members of the Press Center are ready to provide you with the best service.
The Press Center will issue press cards and parking permits to the journalists, provide you with documents and other information related with the sessions, release meeting agenda and schedules of press conferences and group interviews, arrange interviews with individual NPC delegates or CPPCC members and answer your questions relating to the two sessions. Some interviews will also be arranged in the Press Center. In addition, the Telecom and Network Service Room has been set up in the Press Center. The Center is equipped with registration and information desk, workstations with free internet service, interview rooms, refreshment area and etc.
You may also visit the website of the Press Center for more information about the two sessions and the service offered by the Center, such as the meeting agenda, schedules of press conferences and press briefings, interview application, arrangement of open delegation meetings, delegation stations, etc.
Official website of the Press Center：
NPC: www.npc.gov.cn
CPPCC: www.cppcc.gov.cn
1. Press Card and Vehicle Pass Please wear your press card when entering the Press Center, the Great Hall of the People (GHP) and the stations of the NPC delegates and the CPPCC members. One vehicle pass is valid only for a given vehicle and the vehicle should be parked at the designated area. From March 1 to March 15, cars with passes will be free of the control rule which stipulates vehicles with the last digit of the plate number run on alternate days. Please well keep the press card and vehicle pass and do not lend them to others. Please inform the Press Center (Tel: 68528000, 68522270, 68522270）or the Security (Tel: 66268000) immediately in case your press card or vehicle pass is lost.
2. Notes of Covering 2.1 Keep the order when covering the meetings. 2.2 Please be properly dressed and be polite at the meeting rooms. Do not push when entering the meeting rooms. 2.3 It is forbidden to take any weapon or inflammable, explosive and dangerous objects as well as other objects irrelevant with the covering activities. Any violation will be handled in accordance with rules. 2.4 Please take care of your cameras, photographic equipment and personal belongings.
3. Venues of Covering Activities 3.1 The opening and closing ceremonies as well as the plenary meetings of the two sessions will be held at the GHP. Journalists cover these meetings at the second or third floor according to your press cards. 3.2 Press conferences, press briefings and group interviews of the two sessions will be held respectively. The press briefings will be held at the press room at the first floor of the GHP. The press conferences will be held in the Golden Hall at the third floor of the GHP. The group interviews are usually arranged at the Press Center. The notices will put on the website in advance. 3.3 You are allowed to cover the entire process of the plenary meetings and groups of the NPC delegates and the group meetings and joint discussions of the CPPCC members open to foreign journalists. Such open meetings may be held in the GHP or the meeting rooms at the stations of NPC delegates and CPPCC members. Detailed information will be released on the official website by the Press Center in advance. 3.4 For your interviews with NPC delegates or CPPCC members are generally arranged in the Press Center. Upon the request of the NPC delegates or CPPCC members, the interviews could be conducted at the public venue of their stations. Once the schedule of individual interview is confirmed, the journalist must come on time.
4. Entrance time 4.1 To cover the plenary meetings of the NPC or CPPCC sessions at the GHP, journalists can enter the meeting room 80 minutes in advance; to participate in press conferences, press briefings and the open meetings of NPC delegations, journalists can enter the meeting room 60 minutes in advance. Journalists must pass the security check at the south passage of the east gate for activities held in the GHP. 4.2 Journalists after security check can enter the room of open delegations meetings held in the stations of NPC delegates or CPPCC members 30 minutes in advance. 4.3 For the interviews in the Press Center, journalists may enter the venue 60 minutes in advance.
5. Areas of Covering 5.1 To cover the NPC plenary meeting held in the Great Hall, journalists with G2 press cards should be seated on the second floor and those with G3 press cards on the third floor. To cover the CPPCC plenary meetings, journalists with G2 or G3 press cards should both be seated in the journalist area on the second floor. Those holding press officer auditing certificates should take seats in the foreign guest area on the second floor. Cameramen shall not place cameras in the middle aisle of the meeting room on the second floor. 5.2 To cover press conferences and press briefings held in the GHP, journalists should take seats in order; cameramen should place cameras behind the last row of seats instead of between any two rows of seats or on the aisles; photographers taking telephoto lens should take photos from the back of the conference room instead of the front. 5.3 Journalists should stay in the public gallery when covering the open delegation meetings of the NPC or the CPPCC group or joint discussions. It’s better not to raise questions to the NPC delegates or CPPCC members on such occasions so as not to disrupt the meetings.
6. Rules of Raising Questions at Press Conferences and Press Briefings Journalist can only raise questions with the approval of the host of press conferences and press briefings. Please first clarify the media organization you represent and your question should be clear. 7. Interview with the NPC Delegates or CPPCC Members If you want to interview the NPC delegates, you can apply through the website of the NPC Press Center http://www.npc.gov.cn/reportermanager/application/index.jsp For interviewing the CPPCC members, you can apply through http://www.npc.gov.cn/reportermanager/application/cppcc_index.jsp Fill in the application form and click the ‘summit’ button. Staff members of the Press Center will contact the NPC delegates or CPPCC members. With the approval of the interviewees, the staff members will inform you as soon as possible.
8. Collecting Documents Journalists can get the documents on the plenary meetings of the two sessions at the Documents Area for Foreign Journalists which is located at the south side on the second floor of the GHP 45 minutes before the meetings. If you fail to get the documents, you may collect it at the Press Center.
9. Contact the Press Center If you need help, please call the press center or visit our website. For information about the NPC meetings, please call 68528000, 68522270, 68522275 or send email to xws6@mfa.gov.cn. For information about the CPPCC meetings, please call 68522262 or 68522251 (Fax).
10. Miscellaneous 10.1 The interviews with individual NPC delegates or CPPCC members outside the east gate of the GHP prior to the full meetings should be made below the steps so as not to stand in the way of other participants. Please stop the interviews ten minutes before the full meetings start. 10.2 Journalists who temporarily come to Beijing to cover the two sessions should get equipments customs clearance and be fully aware of your valid duration in China.