On the morning of March 11, the Leading Group for Improving Beijing's Role as an International Exchange Center held the second plenary meeting to decide on key tasks for this year. Cai Qi, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Head of the Leading Group, presided over the meeting. Chen Jining, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Mayor of Beijing and First Deputy Head of the Leading Group, Ning Jizhe, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission and Deputy Head of the Leading Group, and Liu Jianchao, Deputy Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Head of the Leading Group, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the attendees stressed the need to thoroughly study and implement the series of important instructions from General Secretary Xi Jinping on epidemic prevention and control, mitigate the impact of the epidemic, and work harder and more diligently to promote Beijing's role as an international exchange center. Efforts need to be made to control the outbreak from its source, conduct screenings, use scientific methods, strengthen community responses, and warn about risks at an early stage. It is important to report early, build a classified, closed-loop management system, fortify epidemic prevention at ports, and battle against travel-related cases from overseas.
The meeting emphasized that we must focus on the special plan and the action plan for the international exchange center, and implement the spatial layout of “one core, two axes, and multiple sections.” All departments and districts shall complete their tasks one by one in accordance with the action plan and coordinate with each other to promote the implementation of the special plan. It is necessary to press ahead with the construction of key functional facilities, and promote the expansion, improvement and upgrade of the major projects and various service facilities of the Yanqi Lake International Conference Resort and the Phase II project of National Conference Center.
The meeting also emphasized the need to enhance capacity building. It called for efforts in the following areas: improve the long-term service system for major diplomatic events, channel international high-end factor resources, and continuously optimize the environment for foreigner-related service; attract professional societies and international organizations specialized in science and technology and engineering, such as the World Robot Cooperation Organization and the World Theatre Alliance, which can contribute to the development of the city, and help them settle down in Beijing; expand the influence of China International Fair for Trade in Services and ZGC Forum; take advantage of the opportunities presented by the staging of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to do a good job on events such as the China Open and Beijing Marathon, and enhance our ability to host international sports events; make sure that international cultural events such as the Beijing International Film Festival and the World Leisure Congress, as well as other signature cultural activities such as Beijing Day and Beijing Week run smoothly; optimize the distribution of international education resources and build new international schools in key areas such as Huairou Science Park, Zhongguancun Science Park, Future Science Park, Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area, Haidian and Chaoyang; launch international hospitals on a pilot basis to improve the medical system for foreigners; and further improve the international talent service system and build international talent communities.
The meeting further emphasized that it is important to strengthen the ministry-city connection, and improve the work mechanism. The leading group office and the coordination agency for each working group shall strengthen coordination and supervision. Other related organizations should also cooperate closely to achieve synergy. Efforts are required to make good use of resources and encourage and support various entities to participate in international exchanges.
During the meeting, the leading group discussed the arrangements for each working group. The attendees also reviewed the 2019 work report, key points for the work in 2020 and rules governing each working group. The working groups reported on progress on their main tasks.
Central and municipal government officials Qin Gang, Zhang Xu, Ren Hongbin, Zhang Yankun, Du Feijin, Wei Xiaodong, Cui Shuqiang, Zhang Jiandong, Sui Zhenjiang, Wang Hong, and Zhang Jiaming participated in this meeting.
