Press Conference of the Premier of the State Council, also known as the "Premier's Q&A with Journalists", is a meeting held by the Premier of the State Council, who serves as the head of government of China, with both domestic and foreign journalists. The Premier's press conference started in 1988 when Premier Li Peng accepted an invitation from the spokesperson of the 7th National People's Congress, Zeng Tao, to meet with journalists from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and foreign countries.[1]
After 1993, the Premier's press conference tended towards normalization.[2] When Zhu Rongji became Premier in 1998, the press conference became a focal point of the National People's Congress sessions, and its duration extended to two and a half hours.[3] During the tenures of Wen Jiabao and Li Keqiang as Premier of the State Council, a press conference was held each year after the closing of the National People's Congress sessions. When Li Qiang became Premier in 2023, only one press conference has been held since. Starting from 2024, it was officially announced that, barring special circumstances, there would no longer be Premier's press conferences in the years following the current National People's Congress session.[4]
| Date | Venue | Meeting | Attending Premier | Relevant reports | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 April 1988 | Great Hall of the People | 7th National People's Congress, First Session | Li Peng | ||
| 9 April 1991 | 7th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | ||||
| 13 March 1993 | 8th National People's Congress, First Session | ||||
| 22 March 1994 | 8th National People's Congress, Second Session | ||||
| 18 March 1995 | 8th National People's Congress, Third Session | ||||
| 17 March 1996 | 8th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | ||||
| 14 March 1997 | 8th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | ||||
| 19 March 1998 | 9th National People's Congress, First Session | Zhu Rongji | [5] | ||
| 15 March 1999 | 9th National People's Congress, Second Session | [6] | |||
| 15 March 2000 | 9th National People's Congress, Third Session | [7] | |||
| 15 March 2001 | 9th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | [8] | |||
| 15 March 2002 | 9th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | [9] | |||
| 18 March 2003 | 10th National People's Congress, First Session | Wen Jiabao | [10] | ||
| 14 March 2004 | 10th National People's Congress, Second Session | [11] | |||
| 14 March 2005 | 10th National People's Congress, Third Session | ||||
| 14 March 2006 | 10th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | ||||
| 16 March 2007 | 10th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | ||||
| 18 March 2008 | 11th National People's Congress, First Session | ||||
| 13 March 2009 | 11th National People's Congress, Second Session | ||||
| 14 March 2010 | 11th National People's Congress, Third Session | ||||
| 14 March 2011 | 11th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | ||||
| 14 March 2012 | 11th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | [12] | |||
| 17 March 2013 | 12th National People's Congress, First Session | Li Keqiang | [13] | ||
| 13 March 2014 | 12th National People's Congress, Second Session | [14] | |||
| 15 March 2015 | 12th National People's Congress, Third Session | [15] | |||
| 16 March 2016 | 12th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | [16] | |||
| 15 March 2017 | 12th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | [17] | |||
| 20 March 2018 | 13th National People's Congress, First Session | [18] | |||
| 15 March 2019 | 13th National People's Congress, Second Session | [19] | |||
| 28 May 2020 | Great Hall of the People(Premier) (Press) | 13th National People's Congress, Third Session | [20] | ||
| 11 March 2021 | 13th National People's Congress, Fourth Session | [21] | |||
| 11 March 2022 | 13th National People's Congress, Fifth Session | [22] | |||
| 13 March 2023 | Great Hall of the People | 14th National People's Congress, First Session | Li Qiang | [23] |
The tradition of holding a press conference with the premier traced back to 1988, after the first session of 7th National People's Congress, when Li Peng was invited to meet the press. It was also from that time onwards that China Central Television began to broadcast the press conference live.[24]
In April 1989, the Rules of Procedure of the National People's Congress, passed during the Second Session of the 7th National People's Congress, stipulated that the National People's Congress should be "openly held". It also specifically included "holding press conferences and receptions for journalists" as part of the proceedings of the National People's Congress.[25]
In March 2012, Premier Wen Jiabao, in his final major press conference, emphasized the need for political openness and warned against the potential reoccurrence of historic tragedies like the Cultural Revolution after the fifth session of the 11th National People's Congress.[26] His remarks were seen as an rebuke to Bo Xilai, known for his "red revival" campaign promoting Mao Zedong-era themes.[27] Bo was fired as the Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary of Chongqing a day after the press conference.[28] [29]
On May 28, 2020, Premier Li Keqiang attended the press conference following the conclusion of the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress. During the conference, he disclosed that currently in China, around 600 million people have a monthly income of only about 1000 yuan. This statement sparked widespread controversy, especially considering that 2020 was designated by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, as the year to eradicate absolute poverty.[30] [31]
On March 4, 2024, a spokesperson said China's Premier Li Qiang will not brief the media at the close of the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress. After the cancellation of the premier's press conference was announced, some media outlets analyzed that this signaled the country's increasingly inward focus and centralized control, indicating Xi's gradual downgrading of the premier's role,[32] [33] thus bringing an end to the tradition of the premier's press conference at the Two Sessions that had been maintained for 30 years.[34]