国内英语新闻:Routine press briefings adopted by top organs

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A routine press briefing system has been adopted by 25 departments of the State Council, China's cabinet.

According to a statement from the State Council Information Office (SCIO), 87 press briefings were held in 2014, a record number since state organs and local governments introduced the practice in 2003, when the nation was dealing with the outbreak of the deadly SARS virus.

The increase followed a 2013 document that called for more efforts to disclose government information to enhance the government's credibility.

The mechanism of press briefings, seen as one of the most important ways to publicize information, was given a further boost when the State Council and the SCIO began routine briefings in January.

In total, 26 ministers and vice ministers from 22 departments of the State Council have briefed journalists from home and abroad and taken questions.

Presiding over a work conference on Thursday, SCIO Director Jiang Jianguo called on more ministers to take to the floor and respond to the concerns of the public and those of both domestic and foreign media.

The Chinese government has more than 230 spokespeople across the country, who release information about state organs as well as provincial-level governments.

The press briefing system provides the public with more direct access to authorities' views and with a channel to voice their concerns, said Yin Yungong, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The press briefing system plays a vital role in promoting modern state governance in China, and enhancement of the practice has great significance for facilitating communication between the Party, government and people," said Zhou Qing'an, associate professor with Tsinghua University.

However, the SCIO acknowledged that problems with the practice still exist, including departments' failure to respond to hot issues in a timely manner.

CIO spokesman Guo Weimin said that spokespeople will be offered training to help improve the quality of government press conferences.