China Breaks Tradition: Premier's Annual Press Conference Scrapped

China has announced the elimination of the annual news conference by Premier Li Qiang, a rare opportunity for top Chinese leaders to take questions from the media, with the spokesperson for the National People's Congress stating that the premier's press conference will not be held in the next few years without further explanation. The move comes ahead of the opening of the weeklong meeting of the largely ceremonial congress, which is being closely watched for indications of steps the government will take to boost the struggling economy.