Press center almost ready for influx of media representatives

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The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) begins on Wednesday, and it promises to be one of the most significant political events of the year, both at home and abroad. Journalists from all over the world are flocking to Beijing so they can get as close as they can to proceedings.

The National Congress doesn't officially begin for another couple of days, but the press center is already a hive of activity.

“We want to serve all the Chinese and overseas journalists, make it a home for them, give them as much convenience as possible. Through this platform, we hope the journalists can also feel China's attitude towards media openness and confidence,” said Wang Dongmei, the Deputy Director of the Press Center of 19th CPC National Congress.

The working area of the press center. /CGTN Photo

To feed the requirements of the global media, the center has created four working areas.

And compared with the last CPC National Congress five years ago, there have been some big changes.

It has added more seating for journalists. There were only 46 seats five years ago, but now, at 170, it’s nearly four times as many.

The center wants to help journalists get their stories out as soon as possible. They have expanded the Internet bandwidth from 100 megabytes, per second five years ago, to an amazing 1,000 this year. The center will also have complete Wi-Fi coverage

Working area. /CGTN Photo

“We will have a lot of stories and videos that need to be sent to the station, including high-quality photos. Because of the high-speed Internet here, we can send our stuff in a timely way, without much waiting. It's very efficient,” said Zhang Yiming, a reporter Macao Asia Satellite TV Company.

In the main conference room, about a dozen news briefings will be held. Various CPC departments and governmental organs will outline policy decisions here, regarding the Party, military and economic development.

The main conference room. /CGTN Photo

Staff members are now preparing the credentials for different groups of journalists.

The center also provides books about China and the Party in ten languages.

The center provides books about China and the Party in different languages. /CGTN Photo

The report of the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee will be translated into 12 languages, instead of the eight five years ago. It's considered one of the most important documents to be released during the meeting.

And, for the first time, the center has an interview room with new media facilities. It provides 20 high-speed Internet connections as well as high-speed Wi-Fi. Therefore, social media platforms can stream their interviews without interruptions.

CGTN Photo

“In an era of highly-developed convergent media, the facilities have to be updated non-stop, because the media has more diversified needs. So, we’d like to do our best to meet your needs and to embrace this development, ” said Wang Dongmei, Deputy Director of the Press Center of 19th CPC National Congress.

To accommodate these needs, the center has undergone a technology upgrade.

For the first time, the press center has created a Wechat account. Journalists can simply register by scanning the QR Code. They can get all the latest updates. There is even an English version. From the account, the reporters can receive all the press releases and request an interview with delegates through the online system. It makes the whole process efficient and convenient.

The 19th CPC national congress will open at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Wednesday.

The organizers have arranged some group discussions and a special "mixed zone" to give journalists better access to the delegates and for them to better know about the CPC as a whole.

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