Before this year’s two sessions, Premier Li Keqiang asked ministers and leaders of departments under the State Council to “actively respond to public concerns”.

“Modern government should give timely responses to people’s expectations and concerns. All departments should actively release information that the public expects in order to reinforce social confidence and provide a clear anticipation for the market.”

In the northern part of the Great Hall of the People lies a passage less than a hundred meters long, dubbed “minister passage”. During the two sessions -- the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee -- the corridor is usually crowded with reporters trying to stop the passing ministers and trying to glean some information from their quick words.

Huang Shuxian, minister of supervision, takes interviews at the “minister passage” inside the Great Hall of the People.[Photo/China News Service]

Yuan Guiren, minister of education, takes interviews.

Chen Zhenggao, minister of housing and urban-rural development, takes interviews.

Yang Chuantang, minister of transport, interacts with reporters.

This year, since the opening of the parliamentary season, questions on hot topics asked by reporters in the corridor have been met with positive responses from the ministers. They include Huang Shuxian (Supervision), Yuan Guiren (Education), Chen Zhenggao (Housing and Urban-Rural Development), Yang Chuantang (Transportation), Han Changfu (Agriculture), and Zhang Mao, director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Zhang Zhijun, director of the Taiwan affairs office of the State Council, and Li Bin, head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The change is regarded as an improvement in interactions between government and the public.

Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, takes interviews.

Zhang Mao, director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, takes interviews.

Zhang Zhijun, director of the Taiwan affairs office of the State Council, takes interviews.

Li Bin, head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, takes interviews.