Western leaders’ stage-managed press conferences in China

Many correspondents believe that major Western leaders are providing an increasingly bad example when it comes to speaking about their dealings with Beijing on their now frequent trips to China. The Chinese government has been criticised for the stage-managed “press conferences” it holds during the annual National People’s Congress. Only questions which have been vetted […]

Many correspondents believe that major Western leaders are providing an increasingly bad example when it comes to speaking about their dealings with Beijing on their now frequent trips to China.
The Chinese government has been criticised for the stage-managed “press conferences” it holds during the annual National People’s Congress.
Only questions which have been vetted are permitted and reporters are selected in a pre-ordained order to politely ask what they have already said they will ask.
Then a leader, like the Chinese premier, virtually reads out a prepared answer. Sometimes it’s not even virtual.
As journalists who believe in the role of the Fourth Estate, we often say to Chinese officials that genuine press conferences with real questions and real answers would be much better in terms of allowing Beijing to get its messages out to the world, not to mention making governments and businesses here more accountable.