China cancels premier’s Parliament press conference for first time since 1993

National Party Congress (NPC) spokesman Lou Qinjian said the premier would not give media briefings at the conclusion of future NPCs. - PHOTO: AFP

BEIJING (Reuters/AFP): China’s Premier Li Qiang will not hold a press conference after the close of 2024’s annual parliamentary meeting, an official said on Monday (March 4), ending a tradition maintained for three decades.

Since 1993, China’s premiers have met the media after the annual gathering of the National People’s Congress (NPC), offering journalists, including the foreign press, a rare chance to ask questions in a typically wide-ranging news conference.