China faces familiar growth dilemma as economy slows

BEIJING -- China's National People's Congress (NPC), the largely ceremonial parliament that meets every year in March to rubber-stamp decisions by the leadership, is seldom accompanied by a great deal of suspense. This year, for example, the biggest surprise was that the proceedings would be even more predictable than ever as the final news conference by Premier Li Qiang, one of the few unscripted parts of the entire affair, was canceled.

NPC spokesman Lou Qinjian explained the decision to reporters on March 4, the eve of the NPC, saying that any information of public interest they might need was "easily accessible" on official reports published during the weeklong proceedings and through interviews with lawmakers.