On behalf of all of his journalist friends (don't hide, you know who you are), Imagethief was pleased to read in today's China Daily that foreign journalists are to be allowed more access than ever to the upcoming National Party Congress. According to the article:

New services include more group interviews for overseas reporters apart from the three open press conferences during the session.

***

Overseas photographers who previously had to zoom in from a long distance will be allowed closer contact with Party leaders and delegates - a privilege previously given only to a few Chinese media - an official surnamed Li with the media center told China Daily on Monday.

Photographers will no doubt be overjoyed to hear that they won't have to lug those 600mm f2.8 wildlife bazooka lenses around in order to see who they are photographing next week. Look, it's Wu Yi! And in the background, a cheetah taking down a gazelle! In fact, to further build excitement prior to this weekend's big kickoff, Imagethief is pleased to present the following simulation of the improvement that foreign photographers can expect:

Old Party Congress:

Politburo (old)

New and improved Party Congress:

 Politburo (up close!)

Pass me a breath mint, it's like I'm standing right there on the dais! 

And it's not just photographers that will benefit. Now you hard-working print hacks can be closer than ever to the turgid plenary sessions and breathtakingly dull speeches that will cap all of the far more interesting off-stage backstabbing and betrayal as the leadership jockeyed for the plums. But that's OK, because according to the China Daily, you aren't really interested in the leadership changes after all:

Economic and social development has overtaken Party personnel changes as the main focus for overseas reporters.

"Economic and political development and the Olympic Games are all inter-related. I want to cover as many topics as possible in addition to the congress," said Olga Tanasiichuk with the National News Agency of Ukraine, who got her press card Monday from the [Party Congress] press center.

Tanasiichuk, who also covered the 16th Party congress, said that she was not overly interested in personnel changes as "unlike in other countries, leadership changes do not mean a change in policy direction".

If she says so. The Ukrainians would know. I guess. But having read some of the English language press coverage of the run-up to the congress, I'd like to present my own list of the top ten topics I think the Beijing-based foreign media will be talking about next week:

  1. Leadership changes
  2. Future leadership changes
  3. Leadership changes
  4. The Olympics
  5. How major social issues will be affected by the leadership changes
  6. Business and economic implications of the leadership changes
  7. The Major League Baseball playoffs
  8. The best place for post-plenary drinks and a boozy rehash of the leadership changes
  9. Where to nail an ambush interview on the leadership changes
  10. Br!tney Spears/Leadership changes (tie)

But, hey, that's just me, and everyone knows what a one track mind I have.