Impressions of a 'first date'

Phoenix TV anchorwoman Wu Xiaoli has covered the sessions of the country's top political advisory and legislative bodies for 13 years, but she still feels excited about what she calls her "annual date" with the advisors and lawmakers.

So you can imagine what it feels like for journalists such as myself who are on this "first date" with them.

Overwhelmed by the thrill and excitement of the assignment, I almost forgot to bring my press pass for the sessions of the NPC and CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People.

I have five years of experience as a business reporter and the opportunity to meet the captains of industry in the business world. However, I was still impressed by the ministers and policymakers as well as movers and shakers in the 15 minutes they walked through the northern gate of the hall before 9 am on March 5, to listen to Premier Wen Jiabao's major government work report.

Dozens of reporters also gathered around Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission and deputy to the NPC, when he appeared on the red carpet.

"Chairman Liu, do you worry there could potentially be huge bad loan risks due to the massive credit issuance in 2009? Could you talk about banks' credit policy to property developers?" some of them asked.

Liu answered those questions carefully. He was well prepared and probably knew that, outside the hall, stock markets worldwide could be affected by his comments.

Chinese and foreign reporters seize every opportunity at these sessions to throw up hot topics for policymakers to respond to.

Microphones, voice recorders and cameras collide with each other in the media melee.

Li Yizhong, minister of industry and information technology and a deputy to the NPC, was another focus of media attention.

"Minister Li, are the authorities still in discussion with Google over Internet restrictions in China? When is China going to take the tri-networks integration of telecommunications, cable TV network and the Internet?" asked some of the reporters.

For each media organization, the annual NPC and CPPCC coverage plays up to a frenzy and tests the nerves and preparations of every journalist.

One senior female reporter from Hong Kong-based business TV operator Now said she has so much experience in cornering newsmakers, she marks out a choice spot on red carpets to "catch the bigwigs".

To my amazement, for almost every 10 "CPPCC" members who pass the red carpet, the reporter can recognize one and quickly pick hot topics to discuss with them.

They all seem to be old friends.

Standing at the right place to ask the right questions is crucial for a good journalist.

Wisdom, experience and hard work are also important prerequisites, reporting on the sessions has shown.

In this profession, I still have a long way to go.

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.