Spokesman: More press conferences to be held on sidelines of parliament sessionLi Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), answers questions from journalists during the news conference on the Second Session of the 11th NPC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 4, 2009. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)Full story Spokesman: China's labor contract law helps combat crisis BEIJING
, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Labor Contract Law helps the country to tide over the current financial crisis as employment had become a key to "living through the crisis in the long run," said a parliament spokesman here Wednesday. "The current difficulties faced by Chinese enterprises were mainly a result of the global economic downturn," Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for this year's annual session of the national legislature, told a press conference. Full story Spokesman: China to continue active fiscal policy for growth amid crisis BEIJING
, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China will adhere to an active fiscal policy in 2009 to weather the global financial crisis and maintain a stable and relatively fast economic growth, a parliament spokesman said here Wednesday. China's leadership made a situation-savvy decision to shift the country's fiscal policy last year, Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for this year's annual session of the national legislature
, told a press conference. Full story Spokesman: China increases aid to developing countries despite crisis BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China has not scaled back but is increasing its aid to developing countries despite the global financial crisis
, said a parliament spokesman Wednesday. "We cherish more the solidarity and cooperation between us and other developing countries as the international financial crisis hit developing economies hard," said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), at a press conference. Full story Li Zhaoxing says want to visit Taiwan island as soon as possible BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Spokesman for this year's national legislature annual session, Li Zhaoxing, said here Wednesday that he wanted to visit Taiwan island so soon as possible. "I also want to see an early peaceful reunification of our great motherland," Li said at a press conference held in the Great Hall of the People. Full story Spokesman: China's legislature shortens annual session not for avoiding "passive situations" BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's legislature has shortened its upcoming annual session because of fewer items on its agenda, but not for avoiding "passive situations," a parliament spokesman said here Wednesday. Li Zhaoxing, spokesman of the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference when answering a journalist's question. Full story Spokesman: China's political reform fits nation's conditions BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's political restructuring generally fits the nation's conditions and economic and social development, said a parliament spokesman here Wednesday. "Our political reform is not the one desired by some Western politicians
, but a kind of self-improvement and self-development of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), told a press conference. Full story Spokesman: China's level of rule of law improved BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's level of the rule of law has seen steady improvement over the past three decades, a parliament spokesman said here on Wednesday. "A socialistic legal system with Chinese characteristics has basically been put into place since the reform and opening up," said Li Zhaoxing
, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, at a press conference. Full storySpokesman: China's stimulus package must be approved by parliament BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's 4-trillion-yuan (585.5 billion U.S. dollars) stimulus package must be approved by the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, a parliament spokesman said here Wednesday. "The investment proposed by the central government will be listed on the annual central budget and submitted to the NPC for deliberation and approval," Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th NPC, told a press conference. Full story China's defense budget to grow 14.9% in 2009 BEIJING
, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China plans to increase its defense budget by 14.9 percent in 2009, a parliament spokesman said here on Wednesday. The planned defense budget is 480.686 billion yuan (70 billion U.S. dollars), a rise of 62.482 billion yuan from last year, Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the second session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC)
, told a press conference. Full story China's defense spending accounts for 1.4% of 2008 GDP BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's defense expenditure accounted for 1.4 percent of the country's GDP in 2008, a parliament spokesman said here Wednesday. "China's limited military force is mainly for safeguarding our sovereignty, and will not pose threat to any country," said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, at a press conference. Full story
