Since the congress started last Friday, panel discussions of some 15 delegations, out of the total 38 delegations, have been open for press audition, setting a record in the history of Party congresses. In comparison, only nine panel discussions were open to journalists during the 15th CPC National Congress five years ago.

Starting from Sunday, a daily press conference has been arranged by the media center of the congress to feed the press with more information, with ministers and other officials answering questions relating to China's economic and social development and other issues of concern to the press.

Over 1,400 overseas and Chinese journalists have registered to report on the congress, with those from overseas totaling more than 800. To cater to their special need to understand the fast changing society in China and provide to them news about the ruling party which has 66 million members, officials with the media center have tried their best.

At the first press conference held in the media center of the congress, only two of the dozen questions were taken from China's mainland reporters and all the others were raised by overseas reporters.

"You (domestic journalists) have more opportunities to interview the ministers than they (overseas reporters) in daily work," said spokesman for the congress Li Bin when later explaining to one of the Chinese journalists present at the press conference.

According to Zhu Shouchen, an official with the media center, the center had arranged 32 interviews with delegates to the congress for overseas reporters by Monday. Some group interviews even attracted over 100 overseas journalists.

"The interviews and open discussions have offered good chances for direct exchanges between delegates and reporters," Zhu said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2002)