Press center for 2025 ‘two sessions’ opens in Beijing

The press center for China's annual sessions of its top legislature and political advisory body, known as the "two sessions," officially opened Thursday at the Media Center Hotel on West Chang'an Avenue in Beijing on Thursday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and the third session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are set to begin on March 5 and March 4, respectively, Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, more than 3,000 journalists have registered to cover the "two sessions" this year, which marks the final year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. Among them, over 1,000 are journalists from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and abroad. This represents an increase from last year.

The press center will host a series of press conferences and events, with heads of central government departments expected to address key domestic and international issues, Xinhua reported.

As in previous years, this year's press center has set up multiple functional areas, including a press conference hall and interview rooms, which are fully prepared to support local and international journalists covering the "two sessions," according to CCTV News on Thursday.

During the sessions, digital versions of the main session documents will be provided to journalists via the internet, eliminating the need for long queues for on-site document collection. Additionally, interview rooms will be available at the accommodations for NPC deputies and CPPCC members to facilitate media interviews, reported CCTV.

"The Chinese government has made elaborate arrangements to facilitate foreign journalists for coverage of the 'two sessions.' This year, I will be focusing on China's foreign policy. The current state of China-US relations, like trade relations, especially after the new administration takes office. China is also playing a key role in world peace and its efforts for maintaining peace in various areas," Muhammad Asghar, a correspondent from the Associated Press of Pakistan, told the Global Times on Thursday.

"For internal policy, I admire the Chinese government's steps for improving the people's welfare like job opportunities, housing, health and education facilities," Asghar added.