Q&A: Foreign and domestic media at the 17th CPC National Congress

Radio86 interviewed China Radio International (CRI) correspondent Wang Jing, who is currently following developments at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), about media presence at the meeting and about the burning issues discussed at the most important political event to take place in China in five years.

Q: The CPC National Congress is widely covered by domestic and foreign media. What is the atmosphere there like now and how many journalists are reporting on the event from the Great Hall of the People?

A: “Everyday, there are a lot of meetings going on here as delegations discuss the report President Hu Jintao delivered at the opening session. So far, over 1,000 foreign journalists have signed up for the Congress, which is more than ever before, according to the Media Center. About 800 journalists from domestic media have also registered to report on the Congress. Out of the 1,000 foreign journalists, 784 come from 55 different foreign countries and regions, and the rest are from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. So, there really is heated competition among journalists to get good interviews from the delegates here.”

Q: What are the three most asked questions by the Chinese media concerning the Party Congress?

A: “The first one would be about the development strategy change... At this Congress, special priority is given to environmental protection over economic development. A lot of domestic media are looking to find out how economic development and environmental protection are being balanced in practice. Journalists mainly seek to interview delegates from the eastern and northeastern provinces in order to get their views on the implementation of environmental protection policies.”

“Hu Jintao's concept of a harmonious society is also one of the top issues among domestic media. Journalists want to know how the government is planning to deal with the wealth gap between the country's poor and rich.“

“Thirdly, they ask about new members and social groups that come to the Congress. This year, lawyers make up their own group, as well as private entrepreneurs, who used not to be included in the delegations. This year, for the first time, there are also about five or six very young delegates present here, and the media want to know what their role at the meeting is and what kind of pressure they're shouldering.”

Q: What are the main interests of the foreign media present at the Congress?

A: “Foreign media have a little bit different focus. They pay more attention to who are going to be the new leaders. They consider the new leadership to have a great impact on the next Five-Year Plan, as well as the stock market, economic development and diplomatic policies of the country.”

“One common interest between the domestic and foreign journalists is the issue of how China is tackling the many problems that stem from its rapid development. It is a topic that interests many foreigners, because their own countries are also facing the same kind of problems, and they want to see how China is dealing with them so that they can learn from it as well.”