The moment the clock showed 9 am, the hubbub in the Great Hall of the People suddenly died away, the sounds of greetings, footsteps and camera shutters fading out.

The auditorium, packed with about 3,000 deputies and hundreds of media reporters, paused for a moment.

At the center of the rostrum, Premier Li Keqiang stood up, walked toward the microphone, bowed to his colleagues and the assembled lawmakers, and then started his speech on the work of the government.