Selfie sticks banned at China’s big annual political meetings in Beijing

Selfie sticks have been banned from this year’s big annual political meetings underway in Beijing so delegates can fully focus on their duties, state media reported.

The move was welcomed by the Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily.

It said in a commentary that taking photographs with a selfie stick harmed delegates image and distracted them from their work.

“The biggest task for delegates here is to perform their duties,” Zhang Jing’an, a press official for the political advisory body the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, was quoted as saying.

There was a “frenzy” of picture taking using selfie sticks among delegates and journalists during last year’s gatherings in Beijing.

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The commentary said the ban may appear unreasonable, but it was part of efforts to hold high quality sessions during the meetings of the consultative conference and the National People’s Congress.