China's top lawmaker and the third-ranked leader of its ruling Communist Party, Zhao Leji, spoke to journalists covering parliament on Wednesday, state media reported, a day after he unexpectedly missed a key session he had been due to open.

China's annual parliamentary session closed with the third-ranked leader of the ruling Communist Party absent due to a respiratory infection. This is the first time in recent history that the chairman of China's top legislative body was absent in the key meeting known as the "Two Sessions.

The third-ranked leader of China's ruling Communist Party was absent on Tuesday from a key parliamentary session he had been due to open, with his stand-in attributing the absence to a respiratory infection.