Live updates: Day 2 of the 18th Communist Party Congress
Updated at 4:30pm
Li Keming, left, deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration and brother of vice premier Li Keqiang, listens intently in a group meeting.
Apparently aware of the pressure and media interest, Li Keming left abruptly halfway through the meeting, took off his name tag and refused to answer any questions.
Updated at 4:15
Zhu Xiaodan, deputy governor of Guangdong Province, said the provincial government intends to push ahead plans to achieve full mutual access between service industries in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.
The plans include opening up more service sectors in the Guangdong market to players from Hong Kong and Macau, and making it easier for service industry professionals from the two cities to work in Guangdong, he said.
Updated at 3:40pm
Understatement of the day
"Generally, both party secretaries are very good. But Secretary Zhang has done better in terms of improving people's lives, and enjoys a lot of popularity."
Upcated at 2:50pm
Yu was all smiles when he walked into the Great Hall of the People for the afternoon's group meetings, and didn't stop smiling when asked about his potential promotion.
"It is not convenient to answer this question now", he said.
Updated at 2:20pm
- CNOOC is confident to complete the US$15.1b acquisition of Canadian oil firm Nexen by the end of the year
- CNOOC has discovered a "very large natural gas field" in waters off Yinggehai in Hainan Province, and is awaiting government approval before making announcements
Jiang denied China would experience another natural gas shortage for the rest of the year. Beijing may increase gas imports from central Asia and other sources, and ration or turn off major industrial users if necessary to cope with a potential sharp increase in household gas consumption, he said.
Updated at 2pm
After we take tough measures to deal with mass incidents, and if we find no more problems, we will release those that should be released.
Q: How do you respond to comments that you take a soft approach when dealing with "mass incidents"?
H: The media may tend to put a lable on what I do. But when dealing with these incidents, we do what we should. No doubt we will take some forceful measures while dealing with mass incidents. We are tough when we should. After these measures are taken, when we find no more problems, we will release all those [people who have been arrested or detained] that should be released. There is no fixed soft or hard approach. I think that's a oversimplification.
Hu circumvented questions about whether he would move to the top party post in Guangdong, where Wang Yang presides now, and also dodged questions about economic development.
Updated at 10:40am
Hu Wenming, congress delegate and chairman of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, calls for a stronger, better-equipped Chinese Navy.
"We have an enormous shortfall in naval equipment compared with neighbouring nations, and are seriously under-equipped in our efforts to protect our maritime interests."
True to his famed straight-talking, no-nonsense style, Guangdong chief Wang Yang rebuked one of his underlings, Shenzhen city party chief Wang Rong, after the latter delivered a dull, 30-minute speech at the group discussion.
"All speeches must be kept under 10 minutes," Wang said, "or I will step in."
Updated at 9:30 am
