Outside the hotel, a parking area has been specially set up for journalists from home and abroad to cover the congress. In the hotel lobby, on a huge display board is written in both Chinese and English: "The news center will provide the best serve to Chinese and foreign journalists who have come to cover the 16th CPC National Congress."

By the left side of the lobby, an indicator board clearly shows that the news center is located on the second floor of the hotel. Its different areas of A, B, C, and D serve respectively as reception center for journalists from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan; press conference hall; reception center for foreign correspondents; and telecommunication service center. A huge banner carrying the words "warmly welcome journalists from home and abroad who have come to cover the 16th National Congress of Communist Party of China" is hung on the upper wall of the lobby. Its white characters on red background create a festival atmosphere.

Upstairs, some staff members of the news center were busy telephoning and arranging documents. At present, dozens of people who will work at the news center are moving into the Media. The news center will formally begin its work on November 1. It will offer services to journalists, including accepting applications and issuing certificates, arranging interview and helping journalists entering the congress venue to get first-hand information.

In the telecommunication center, journalists can get free Internet service and free card for radio renting; pay IP phone; pay 201 phone; and fax for both home and overseas. There will be all kinds of telephone cards on sale, in addition to multimedia public telephone and information inquiry service.

China.org.cn, People.com.cn and Xinhuanet.com will provide online equipments in the news center. In order to help foreign journalists get more background knowledge about the congress and China as a whole, China.org.cn has prepared a specific web to offer information about the 16th Party Congress in nine languages. (www.16da.org.cn; www.16congress.org.cn).

According to Media Center, since the 14th CPC National Congress, the news center of every CPC national congress has been set here. Besides, the news centers for the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 and the grand celebration for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China were also established in Media Center. The hotel has accumulated abundant experiences in serving this kind of large-scale conferences and events. Equipped with professional information-processing and satellite transmitting facilities, Media Center is a convenient place for journalists to have their work done.

Up to now, 700 journalists from abroad, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, have registered with the news center. Among them, more than 400 are foreigners, 160 are from Hong Kong and Macao, and 60 are from Taiwan. Registration is still going on.

(china.org.cn October 30, 2002)