The Fifth Session of the Tenth NPC will open on March 5 and the Fifth Session of the Tenth National Committee of the CPPCC will begin on March 3, according to the general offices of the NPC Standing Committee and the CPPCC National Committee.

    The NPC is the top legislative body in China, while the CPPCC is a broad-based national advisory organization consisting of experts and citizens from all walks of life.

    The CPPCC plays a supervisory role and accepts suggestions and criticisms which relate to major state affairs and policies and other important issues.

    A press center will be set up at No. 3 Compound, Jiaoyu Street,Xidan, Xicheng District, Beijing, to be responsible for the arrangements of Chinese and foreign correspondents to cover the two meetings.

    The press center will formally begin operation on Feb. 26.

    Chinese correspondents from Beijing-based state media who want to cover the meetings are required to send their applications to the press center; Local correspondents who want to come to Beijing to cover the meetings, to send their applications to their local delegations who will deliver those applications to the press center.

    Applications from Hong Kong and Macao correspondents should be sent to the liaison offices of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, respectively.

    Taiwan reporters who want to cover the meeting should send their applications to China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited and China Travel Service (Macao) Limited, which are authorized by relevant governmental departments.

    Resident foreign correspondents in China who want to cover the meetings are required to send their applications to the press center, and foreign correspondents who come to China for the events should send their applications to the Chinese embassies or consulates in their countries, or to other visa-issuing organizations authorized by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The press center's deadline for applications is March 5.

    To facilitate journalists' work, the press center opens on Sunday two websites providing information relevant to the meetings: www.npc.gov.cn and www.cppcc.gov.cn.

    He Shaoren, head of the press center, on Sunday said the Fifth Session of the Tenth NPC and the Fifth Session of the Tenth National Committee of the CPPCC are major political events in China and drawing wide attention from home and overseas.

    "The press center is gearing up for providing thoughtful services to journalists," He said.

    Journalists can download application forms from the press center's websites, making the application procedures more convenient and simplified.

    He also promised to release more timely information relevant to the meetings through the websites and to provide more news coverage opportunities for journalists.