China's Premier Breaks Tradition, Eliminates Annual News Conference

China's government has announced the elimination of the annual news conference by Premier Li Qiang, a rare opportunity for journalists to question top Chinese leaders, signaling a diminishing of the premier's power and government bureaucracy as the Communist Party centralizes control. The move comes ahead of the opening of the National People's Congress, where the government is expected to reveal its economic growth target for 2024. The spokesperson reassured that China remains open to foreign business and investment, rejecting concerns about recent changes to national security laws and expressing confidence in overcoming technology access restrictions. Additionally, the spokesperson declined to comment on the U.S. presidential election's impact on China's relations with the United States and criticized American lawmakers' actions regarding Taiwan. Military spending growth is expected to be revealed at the congress, with analysts anticipating a 6-7% increase reflecting China's concern about its international environment and prioritizing military modernization alongside economic goals.