On October 12, Mentougou District held the first plenary meeting of the Office of the Leading Group for Improving Mentougou District's Role in Building the Center for International Exchanges. During the meeting, the guiding principles of the fifth plenary meeting of the Leading Group for Improving Beijing's Role in Building the Center for International Exchanges and the fourth plenary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee were conveyed, and the key projects and tasks of improving Mentougou District's role in building the center for international exchanges in 2022 were released. Relevant departments reported on Mentougou District's performance on the monitoring and evaluation system for improving Beijing's role as an international exchange center, its implementation of Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Building International Language Environment, and the progress in cultural and tourism projects. Qing Zhaoshen, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Mentougou District Committee and executive vice district mayor, attended and addressed the meeting.

It was pointed out at the meeting that all participants should have an in-depth understanding of the significance of improving Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges. The center for international exchanges is one of Beijing's strategic roles as the four centers, which bears on the priority needs of China's diplomacy and the capital's overall development. Mentougou District will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, contribute to Beijing's development in the new era, and take proactive steps in improving Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges.

Mentougou will, on the one hand, unswervingly serve the strategic needs of the party and the country's diplomacy, and on the other hand, focus on regional features by giving full play to the distinctive role of ecological protection areas. We will actively undertake tasks entrusted by the central government and the municipality, strive to transform the district's foreign affairs resources into municipal or even national resources, and take solid steps to make the district more international.

The meeting called for further enhancing the political stance, improving overall planning and coordination, and strengthening accountability and implementation, so as to contribute more to Beijing's foreign-related affairs. The task of improving Beijing's role as the center for international exchanges should be prioritized. All departments and institutions should identify their focus in improving Beijing's function as the center for international exchanges, strengthen overall planning, and ensure the smooth progress of various tasks. The foreign affairs office of Mentougou District should assume the responsibilities of the Leading Group Office, play a leading role in steering and coordination, and strengthen inspections to ensure solid progress.

It was emphasized in the meeting that Mentougou should strictly implement foreign-related Covid-19 measures on a regular basis and continue to launch the Cultural Festival of West Hill and Yongding River, Western Beijing Landscape Carnival, and Yongding River Ecological Development Forum. We will leverage the distinctive resources such as the Western Hill-Yongding River Cultural Belt, the Great Wall Cultural Belt, and the industrial relics of Jingmen Railway and the four mining areas along the railway, and make use of the natural and cultural resources within the district to create venues for diplomatic and foreign affairs events and enhance the capacity to deliver quality services. We will continue to improve the international language environment by using correct Chinese and foreign-language signs in key public places, and make good use of the heritage sites related to the CPC's history in Mentougou District to tell the stories of Beijing and the CPC in an engaging way.