Last weekend was the first working day for the News Center at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and it was obviously a big day.
More than 750 journalists from 242 overseas news agencies visited the Center and registered to report on the congress, according to sources at the News Center, which is located in western Beijing's Media Center hotel. Of them, some 560 are foreigners, while some 230 are from HK, Macao and Taiwan. In addition to the registered domestic journalists, the total number of journalists to cover the upcoming CPC national congress has surpassed that of the 15th CPC National Congress, held in 1997.
"The News Center, staffed by 60 people, will do its best to provide help to the journalists covering the big event," said Xu Xinhua, director of the News Center. The News Center is a multi-functional service organization, which will provide information on every session of the Congress, printed material on the CPC and China as well as electronic resources via computer. Working staff, sent by China.org.cn, Xinhuanet.com and Peopledaily.com.cn, will be on constant standby to provide assistance to their overseas colleagues.
The three leading media websites have each produced large-scale features, introducing history as well as current resources on the CPC to visitors. Take China.org.cn for example. On its site, one can find a range of important documents regarding the history of the CPC. Site editors have also produced an FAQ section on the CPC and its national congress, providing a canon of knowledge on the Party. While visiting the News Center, Chen Yang, a journalist from Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily News, was apparently interested in the feature on the coming 16th National Congress of CPC. He said, "I find the information on the site is very authentic and authoritative. I will surely come to visit the site now and then during the course of the 16th Congress."
According to Xu Xinhua, the News Center also has an important function arranging the reporting activities of overseas journalist. These activities include interviewing congress delegates and attending conferences, which will be held in the News Center. In addition, the News Center will organize journalists from abroad and HK, Macao and Taiwan to visit some major construction sites in Beijing, added director Xu.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting November 4, 2002)
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