No questions asked: China cancels important People’s Congress date At least 170 people killed in attacks in Burkina Faso

China’s People’s Congress plans to meet for a week this year for its annual meeting, but surprisingly canceled an important press conference from its agenda.

Premier Li Qiang will not hold a press conference to mark the end of the congress this year, National People’s Congress (NPC) spokesman Lou Qinjian said. The appointment was a rare opportunity in previous years, when the Chinese head of government answered questions from journalists. This also includes access to information.

Lou also announced that the press conference will not take place after the upcoming people’s congresses of the cabinet period, which runs until 2028, unless there are special circumstances. When asked about the cancellation of the traditionally scheduled date for the end of the NPC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allayed concerns from media representatives present that China was not open enough. “I believe this concern is unnecessary,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing. Every session of Congress is open to the media, she emphasized.

The People’s Republic’s parliament, which is not freely elected, plans to meet this Tuesday until next Monday. At the top of the agenda is the government’s work report. During the annual meeting, delegates approve the plans and objectives of the government of state and party leader Xi Jinping. According to official information, the plenum currently has 2,956 members. At a week, the more ceremonial event is relatively short.

The focus is on the economic growth target of the country with around 1.4 billion inhabitants for 2024. Due to the economic crisis in the world’s second largest economy, domestic and foreign companies in particular will hope for important signals from the meeting. Observers are also paying attention to the military budget in light of Chinese tensions with Taiwan and the nuclear power’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

NPC spokesman Lou on Monday defended spending on the military. These are relatively low compared to those in the US. In 2023, the People’s Republic increased its defense budget by 7.2 percent to 1.5537 trillion yuan (currently just under 200 billion euros). The increase in spending was significantly higher than Chinese economic growth, which was 5.2 percent last year.

Looking ahead to the upcoming US election and its impact on the relationship between Washington and Beijing, Lou offered little insight into China’s position. The elections are an internal matter for the United States, he said. Regardless of who is elected, China hopes for stable cooperation. However, in front of the assembled reporters in the Great Hall of the People, he criticized the sometimes “anti-China” statements of members of the US Congress and the visits of US politicians to Taiwan. The Communist Party considers Taiwan part of China, even though it has never ruled the democratic island republic, and regularly criticizes countries that have exchanges with Taipei. Washington is an ally of Taiwan and pledged support for its defense. (saw/sda/dpa)