China in a surprise announcement says it is eliminating annual news conference by Premier Li Qiang

A file photo of Chinese Premier Li Qiang 
| Photo Credit: Reuters

China’s government said on Monday that it is eliminating an annual news conference by the Prime Minister that was one of the rare times a top Chinese leader took questions from journalists.

Lou Qinjian, the spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, said on the eve of the opening of the legislature’s annual session that Premier Li Qiang would not hold a news conference at its conclusion, as Premiers have done every year since 1993.

The weeklong meeting of the largely ceremonial congress, which opens Tuesday, is being closely watched for any indications of what steps the government will take to boost the struggling economy