Reuters correspondent Ben Blanchard said it was a pleasant surprise for him to be able to discuss AIDS, drugs and the likelihood for dams to be built on the upper reaches of a China-Myanmar border river with the Party chief of the southwestern border province Yunnan.

All about sensitive issues some Chinese officials would have easily shrugged off with a "no comment" just a few years ago.

Blanchard found he himself became a star after the 40-minute interview with Bai Enpei, secretary of the Yunnan provincial committee of the Communist Party of China, Thursday on the sideline of the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC).

Chinese journalists had so many questions about how the interview went that Blanchard had to turned them down, saying he had to get back to work.

At least 870 overseas journalists and more than 2,000 from China applied for interviews during this year's parliamentary and political advisory sessions, which opened on Wednesday and Monday respectively.

In the highest-profile political event ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games, China promised it would help more foreign correspondents arrange interviews.

"It's all for the deputies and political advisors themselves to decide whether they agree to be interviewed," said Cong Jun, director of the two sessions' press center who is in charge of foreign media's applications.

Many willingly accept foreign reporters' request for an interview.

"China is an open country, so it's just not acceptable for Chinese lawmakers to turn down such a request," said Hou Qijun, an NPC deputy and general manager of the Jilin Oilfield Corporation.

The absolute majority of the panel discussions open to the press this year, giving reporters broader access.

All the open sessions leave 20 minutes for questions and answers, and no "no comment" was heard even to the most sensitive questions.

Dow Jones business correspondent Denis McMahon stopped Li Yihuang, general manager of China's leading copper producer Jiangxi Copper Group, on the latter's way to the bathroom during a break on Wednesday.

McMahon also received a text message confirmation of an interview with Ma Kai, minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission, on Thursday.

The residences of the deputies and political advisors are no more off-limits to foreign reporters. The 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference even published on its website the addresses and contact numbers of all the Beijing accommodations of its members.

"In the past, such information was classified to some extent," said Gong Shubin with Hong Kong Commercial Daily. "I can feel China's self-confidence in opening the two sessions' to the press."

China issued new media rules last year that granted easier access to overseas reporters and promised greater transparency.

According to these rules, foreign journalists would not have to be accompanied or assisted by a Chinese official any more when they work in China. Also, they no longer need to apply for local foreign affairs offices' permission for news reporting across the country.

This has allowed foreign reporters to learn more about the whole of China, "not just the few big cities," said Aileen McCabe from CanWest News Service, who visited Hunan, Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces for interviews last year.

"I hope the rules still apply after the Olympic Games," she said.

In contrast to the open-minded lawmakers and political advisors, Gong Shubin found some local officials still "fear" overseas reporters. "They might still need to change their minds. It'll take time, of course, and we fully understand that."

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2008)