This Day, That Year

Item from Sept 15, 1997, in China Daily: Overseas journalists attend the Guangdong delegation’s group discussion during the 15th Party Congress.

The congress opened six panel discussions to foreign reporters on Saturday, the first time that the foreign media were allowed to attend such events.

In the past decade, China has made remarkable progress in boosting transparency to foreign media.

A new regulation, which took effect in 2007, gives overseas journalists free access to report from China.

During the two sessions that year, foreign reporters covering the events, could, for the first time, contact and interview lawmakers and political advisers directly.

More than 700 overseas journalists covered the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in 2007.

The number was more than 1,000 this year.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, about 25,000 accredited journalists representing 159 countries and regions reported the event.

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November 2012 attracted more than 1,700 overseas reporters. The congress is regarded as the most important political event in China.

In 2014, foreign correspondents were first welcomed at news conferences held by the Ministry of National Defense. It is seen as another step in the country’s efforts to enhance transparency in reporting.