Beijing’s Media Center Hotel opened its doors on 27 February 2026 to more than 3,000 registered journalists—including over 1,000 from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas—who will cover China’s annual “two sessions” of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in early March. For the foreign press corps, the press center acts as a one-stop hub for visa extensions, equipment import clearance and high-speed 5G workstations.
![Press Center for ‘Two Sessions’ Opens, Streamlined Accreditation Welcomes 1,000 Foreign Journalists]()
As many visiting reporters have found, VisaHQ can streamline pre-trip preparations long before they reach the Media Center’s counters. Through its China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service offers step-by-step application guidance, real-time tracking and courier options for everything from J-2 media visas to short-notice business (M) visas, providing a convenient safety net for newsrooms and corporate teams that can’t afford paperwork delays.
According to an earlier notice from the NPC and CPPCC general offices, China-based foreign journalists applied directly to the center, while non-resident reporters secured accreditation through Chinese embassies or authorised visa agencies—a process refined this year to include e-forms and 72-hour turnaround targets. The streamlined system reflects broader efforts to ease short-term professional mobility. Media visas (J-2), typically valid for 30 days, can now be converted on-site into multi-entry passes covering the full parliamentary season, reducing mid-assignment embassy visits. The centre also houses booths from China Mobile and UnionPay to fast-track local SIM cards and mobile-payment registration—services that previously required time-consuming off-site errands. Beyond journalism, the temporary influx demonstrates China’s capacity to handle high-volume international arrivals under tightened security. Hotels within Beijing’s Third Ring Road report occupancy rates above 95 percent, and ride-hailing platforms have introduced English-language push notifications and flat-fare zones around Tian’anmen to manage demand. Organisations sending executives to lobbying events around the sessions should anticipate heightened ID checks and restricted vehicle access near the Great Hall of the People from 3–11 March, and build extra transfer time into agendas. The press-center model—combining immigration, telecom and transportation facilitation—offers a template that other conference hosts may emulate to boost large-event mobility.
As many visiting reporters have found, VisaHQ can streamline pre-trip preparations long before they reach the Media Center’s counters. Through its China-focused portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service offers step-by-step application guidance, real-time tracking and courier options for everything from J-2 media visas to short-notice business (M) visas, providing a convenient safety net for newsrooms and corporate teams that can’t afford paperwork delays.
According to an earlier notice from the NPC and CPPCC general offices, China-based foreign journalists applied directly to the center, while non-resident reporters secured accreditation through Chinese embassies or authorised visa agencies—a process refined this year to include e-forms and 72-hour turnaround targets. The streamlined system reflects broader efforts to ease short-term professional mobility. Media visas (J-2), typically valid for 30 days, can now be converted on-site into multi-entry passes covering the full parliamentary season, reducing mid-assignment embassy visits. The centre also houses booths from China Mobile and UnionPay to fast-track local SIM cards and mobile-payment registration—services that previously required time-consuming off-site errands. Beyond journalism, the temporary influx demonstrates China’s capacity to handle high-volume international arrivals under tightened security. Hotels within Beijing’s Third Ring Road report occupancy rates above 95 percent, and ride-hailing platforms have introduced English-language push notifications and flat-fare zones around Tian’anmen to manage demand. Organisations sending executives to lobbying events around the sessions should anticipate heightened ID checks and restricted vehicle access near the Great Hall of the People from 3–11 March, and build extra transfer time into agendas. The press-center model—combining immigration, telecom and transportation facilitation—offers a template that other conference hosts may emulate to boost large-event mobility.
