On the morning of March 22, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee held its first meeting. Cai Qi, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Chairman of its Foreign Affairs Committee, delivered a speech. Chen Jining, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Mayor and Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee attended the meeting.

Cai Qi pointed out that since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has grasped the development trends of China and the world in the new era, and has carried out a series of major theoretical and practical innovations concerning foreign relations. Thus, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy was formed, which provides important guidance for our work in the new era. As the capital city, Beijing is a hub for diplomacy and international exchanges. It is the most important window into China's achievements in reform, opening up, and modernization, and plays a unique role in China's foreign relations and shaping of its international image. We must follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and be more conscious of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment. We also need to strengthen our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We should resolutely uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position in the CPC Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, resolutely uphold the CPC Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership, unswervingly follow the central government's foreign policies and guidance, and allow Beijing to play its due role in diplomacy in the new era.

At the meeting, Cai Qi underscored the importance of performing the following tasks: provide high-quality services for major events, support government work concerning foreign affairs, step up provision of hospitality services for international guests, and make a continuous effort to enhance Beijing's international influence; strengthen the function of Beijing as a center for international exchanges, step up spatial planning for the city's international exchange function, accelerate the preparation of relevant special plans, support the expansion, improvement and upgrade of major service facilities concerning foreign affairs, and attract and retain global talent; promote high-quality development and opening-up of the city, advance the pilot program of a new round of opening-up of the services sector, adopt effective measures to attract foreign investment, and provide specialized services and guidance for foreign-related companies; support the organization of China International Fair for Trade in Services, ZGC Forum and other international events; adopt an approach to public diplomacy that highlights Beijing's status as the capital city, promote people-to-people diplomacy, and continue to expand Beijing's “circle of friends”; effectively strengthen overseas business trip management; and help ensure a safe and stable environment.

Cai Qi emphasized the need to comprehensively strengthen the Party's leadership in foreign affairs, step up the development and improvement of relevant systems and mechanisms, reinforce the accountability system, build a strong leadership team, build synergies that will allow the city to achieve best results in its international initiatives, and strive to build an efficient foreign affairs system.

At the meeting, the attendees reviewed and approved the Working Rules for the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Detailed Working Rules for the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and listened to the report on the city's work concerning foreign affairs last year and the summary of this year's work plan.

Municipal leaders Zhang Yankun, Lin Keqing, Du Feijin, Wei Xiaodong and Cui Shuqiang, and Secretary General of the Municipal Government Jin Wei also attended the meeting.