https://www.scmp.com/rss/324038/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Since the late 1980s, the Chinese premier’s press conference at the end of the country’s annual congressional sessions has been a rare chance – albeit limited – for overseas media to ask the premier directly about the state of the nation. This year is the fifth time Premier Li Keqiang will mount the podium in Beijing to take questions . SCMP.com will cover the press conference in a live blog. What is the press conference and why does it matter? The tradition started in 1988 when the then new... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2078890/chinese-premier-foreign-press-and-state-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2078890/chinese-premier-foreign-press-and-state-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Mar 2017 23:32:31 +0000 Doubling China’s Lunar New Year break, labelling Chinese cuisine an “intangible cultural heritage” and restricting foreign influence in schools are among the patriotic recommendations made by delegates at this year’s meeting of the Chinese parliament. Many of the 3,000 delegates from across China currently in Beijing for the 10-day meeting of the National People’s Congress, closing on Wednesday, came armed with proposals for the top leadership. The hundreds of recommendations have only a tiny... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2078091/chinese-parliament-delegates-call-warm-bums-less?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2078091/chinese-parliament-delegates-call-warm-bums-less?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Mar 2017 11:55:52 +0000 China’s Premier Li Keqiang vowed to “make our skies blue again” in his annual work report in Beijing on Sunday. If the past seven days are anything to go by, he has a big job ahead of him. While the air over Beijing was clear in the early days of last week, by Thursday smog began to descend on the city, just as the country’s top political officials were arriving for the annual “two sessions” plenary meetings of the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2076431/blue-skies-smog-and-back-again-what-week-beijing-looks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2076431/blue-skies-smog-and-back-again-what-week-beijing-looks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:45:15 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is likely to put stability above all policy goals when he presents his annual report on Sunday, ahead of the once-every-five-years reshuffle of the Communist Party leadership late this year. Li’s government work report will give the outside world Beijing’s assessment of the country’s economy and its foreign and defence priorities – which are particularly uncertain this year with the new US administration of Donald Trump, European national elections and Britain’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075506/whats-he-about-li-keqiangs-annual-report-explained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075506/whats-he-about-li-keqiangs-annual-report-explained?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Mar 2017 23:00:45 +0000 When Hong Kong released its annual budget in February, the comments and criticism from the public came pouring in immediately. You can be sure the same won’t happen for China’s national budget when it’s released during the “Two Sessions” annual parliamentary meetings on Sunday. Why? That’s because the documents are beyond comprehension – if a survey of deputies from the top legislative body expected to approve the budget is anything to go by. Budgets, targets and how to deal with Trump: what to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075047/why-chinas-budget-so-incomprehensible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075047/why-chinas-budget-so-incomprehensible?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Mar 2017 02:02:26 +0000 The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the mainland’s top political advisory body, started its annual meeting in Beijing on Friday. The following is the gist of its annual report on this year’s focus on outreach work related to Hong Kong, Taiwan, ethnic minorities and religious groups. Hong Kong Plans are in place to host events to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover to China. The CPPCC reiterates its commitment to “one country, two systems”, under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075815/your-quick-guide-chinas-political-advisers-plans-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075815/your-quick-guide-chinas-political-advisers-plans-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2017 08:30:22 +0000 It’s China’s biggest political ball of the year and everyone wants to go. The great “Two Sessions” meet-up is a serious affair, but you can always count on the celebrities to lighten up the occasion. It’s going to be a star-studded event, and it’s not just for the political bigwigs. A Hollywood actor, Olympic champ, celebrity writer, famous scion, internet titan … you name it, they’ve got it. And they’re all going to be seated together in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for the annual... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2074815/jackie-chan-olympic-champ-and-nobel-prize-winner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2074815/jackie-chan-olympic-champ-and-nobel-prize-winner?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2017 02:00:30 +0000 China’s biggest political event of the year is upon us again as the country’s movers and shakers drop everything to gather in Beijing for the “Two Sessions”, which officially begins on Friday. The annual plenary meetings of the nation’s top legislative and consultative bodies – the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – will be attended by about 5,000 political, economic and social leaders from across China. Budgets, targets and how to deal with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075040/official-and-unofficial-reasons-why-chinas-big-shots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2075040/official-and-unofficial-reasons-why-chinas-big-shots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Mar 2017 02:00:30 +0000 It’s the Chinese equivalent of America’s State of the Union Address and the Queen’s Speech in Britain. Come March 3, at what’s known as China’s biggest political show of the year, thousands of the nation’s governing elite will descend on Beijing to discuss and decide on the most pressing issues facing the country. This year’s “Two Sessions” meetings come amid intense uncertainty as the Communist Party prepares for its upcoming power transition and the government struggles to deal with the new US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2074304/budgets-targets-and-how-deal-trump-what-watch-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2074304/budgets-targets-and-how-deal-trump-what-watch-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Feb 2017 02:02:00 +0000