The lack of notice for Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai's highly-anticipated 'meet the press' session in Beijing yesterday was unusual given the carefully stage-managed nature of surrounding events.
Reporters were only given two hours' notice of the session early yesterday morning.
And the way they were informed also ran counter to normal procedures and practices, well known to any journalist covering the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC). Question-and-answer sessions by any NPC delegation are invariably announced by the NPC's secretariat, with details often posted on its website the day before
But journalists only received text messages at about 7am yesterday informing them of the opportunity to hear from Bo.
Of particular interest was the chance to hear his version of the downfall of his former right-hand man, Wang Lijun, who was detained after visiting the US consulate in Chengdu , reportedly to seek political asylum.
Bo came to the Chongqing Hall in the Great Hall of the People at 9am, with about 150 journalists present.