They are not stars, but they are being chased like stars by the press every year during the annual sessions of China's top legislature, the NPC, and top advisory body, the CPPCC. This is the "red carpet show" of government ministers, dubbed "The Ministers' Corridor." At just over 100-meter-long corridor at the north entrance of the Great Hall of the People, dozens of government ministers walk onto the red carpet and to the microphones, answering questions from a "mob" of journalists who are thirsty for any newsworthy information from the ministers. This is similar to the Press Stakeout at the United Nations where officials and diplomats from UN member states make announcements or have Q&A sessions. They are similar but different. The Ministers' Corridor is a Stakeout with Chinese style.

Before 2008, the corridor at the north entrance of the Great Hall of the People was where some journalists tried to spot and "catch" government ministers for a spontaneous interview. Most often, the ministers would shy away from the journalists and refused to talk unless they were forced to the corner. This situation had been going on for years until 2008 when the government designated an area for journalists and put up microphones and loudspeakers for the ministers, a sign of official recognition of "The Ministers' Corridor."

Initially, some representatives from the press, mostly young female journalists, were allowed to talk to the ministers. Still, most ministers were reluctant to speak to the media. There was a lot of dragging and pushing, persuading and refusing, posing an embarrassing and sometimes funny situation. Some embarrassed ministers had to face the cameras because they were actually "kidnapped" by a group of female reporters and taken to the microphones.

Later on, the government step in and the ministers were invited and led to the press stakeout by the staff at the Great Hall of the People. The ministers have realized that this has become a routine and they have to face it.

In recent years, more and more ministers have adopted a more active attitude toward The Ministers’ Corridor and meet the press on their initiative. The government also encouraged them to speak to the press at the Corridor. In January 2017, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that a modern government must respond promptly to people's concerns and keep close communication with various circles of society when he referred to The Ministers' Corridor. He also told the ministers to introduce to the public China's achievements in detail and to explain clearly the problems as well, adding that they should not keep silent when problems arise.

The evolving situation of The Ministers' Corridor reflects the changing relations between the press and the government in China. Government officials in China used to keep a distance from the press and keep mum especially during crises or on sensitive issues. They would mostly accept interview requests from the media when they considered the interviews would be safe and a plus to their career development. Then in 2003, the SARS epidemic broke out across China and little information was available to the public at the initial stage of the outbreak, generating huge complaints from the society and the outside world. Then, the government began to brief the public and the world on the spread and containment of the disease.

Since 2003, China has learned a lesson of crisis management from the SARS outbreak and quickly set up spokesperson system at various levels of government throughout the country. The press briefing has become a routine practice when disasters and other crises happen and when the government departments deem it necessary to brief the press and the public about government work and policies.

When comparing to the Press Stakeout at the UN and in other countries, The Ministers' Corridor in China is a much bigger fanfare of the press as there is normally a bigger crowd of journalists and the Q&A is carried live by national and local television stations and many more new media platforms, covering a large audience. The ministers face much pressure when journalists throw all kinds of questions at them. They have to show their competence on their posts and areas of work under the scrutiny of a large live audience including top leaders. One by one, the ministers take questions from the press and some of them have displayed strong charisma and become stars. Some of the ministers describe the experience as a challenging task and refer it to an exam they must take every year.

Questions from the press at The Ministers' Corridor deal with all aspects of government affairs and people's livelihood involving education, medical security, employment and, environment etc. The Corridor has become an important channel for the press and the general public to have a dialogue with government officials. This unique feature of the Two Sessions conforms to the concept of the Chinese government to build a transparent, open and responsive government which serves the needs of the people.

This year, the practice of the ministers' stakeout was taken one step further and applied to the NPC deputies and CPPCC members, which was how The NPC Deputies' Corridor and The CPPCC Members' Corridor were born. They provide a rare opportunity for the legislators and members of the advisory body to demonstrate whether they are qualified as the "people's representatives." It's also significant to have their voices heard since many of them come from the grassroots level and represent various circles.

The word "stakeout" carries the meaning of supervision. By having press stakeout for government ministers, legislators and members of the top advisory body, China is taking the initiative to build a unique information channel, a channel that puts to test the communication skills of officials and people's representatives, the confidence of the government and openness of the society. 

(The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.)