A parliament spokesman said on Wednesday that more press conferences on China's economy would be held on the sidelines of the annual full session of the national legislature slated to start on Thursday.

Leading officials of some government departments would be invited to answer reporters' questions on China's measures to combat the global financial crisis, keep stable and relatively fast economic growth and promote employment, said Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress, at a press conference.

China's foreign policy and external relations would also be major topics of the press conferences.

Li said that both the opening and closing meetings, all the plenary sessions and a large number of group meetings would be open to Chinese and overseas journalists.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2009)