When the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, opened in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, observers noticed a remarkable phenomenon on the second floor, the area earmarked for the media. Earlier annual NPC sessions had also seen a fair share of foreign journalists but this year, African journalists have a sizeable presence. 

In February, more than 20 journalists from the mainstream media in African countries were invited to China to participate in a 10-month professional training program organized by the China Public Diplomacy Association, a prominent Chinese NGO. Soon after they arrived, the visitors were offered the opportunity to attend the annual sessions of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body. The sessions are popularly known as the "two sessions."  

Gaye said while the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) has formulated in-depth strategies, they would remain illusions unless the political leadership showed determination to carry them out. The work report, he said, showed the Chinese Government's determination to solve problems, something that African leaders should learn from. 

 "With China opening up to the world, other countries should also be more open toward China to promote mutual learning. It is helpful for countries to understand their own problems and solve them," the Liberian journalist remarked. 

Mwangi said China's air pollution issue has caught her attention. In her reportage, she will focus on the measures the Chinese Government is taking to solve this problem. She has noted that the 13th Five-Year Plan has a long-term strategy to beat smog by 2030. 

"[The year] 2030 is not far away, and this is a big challenge [for China]. I really want to see what kind of proposals NPC delegates raise to realize the goal," she said. "The key is to make a reasonable policy and persist [with it]. I believe the problem will be solved step by step." 

He feels Cameroon should learn from China's industrialization. He hopes to learn about the challenges China faced in the process of its industrialization and how it coped with them, knowledge which would be instructive for his country.