On January 13, 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Beijing Municipal Government co-hosted the New Year Reception for Foreign Journalists in China at the National Art Museum of China. Qin Gang, Vice Foreign Minister, and Du Feijin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the Municipal Party Committee, attended the reception.
In his speech, Qin Gang noted, the past year of 2019 has been truly extraordinary as we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Chinese people are immensely proud and full of confidence in the future of our country. The year 2020 will be of milestone significance. The Chinese people will continue to pursue their dreams while the Chinese Communists will remain true to their original aspiration and keep their mission firmly in mind, lead the Chinese people to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieve the first centenary goal. The interaction between China and the world will be closer. China will continue to face and integrate into the world in a calm, confident and open way. For China's diplomacy, we will firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, follow the path of peaceful development, uphold world peace, promote common development and build a community with a shared future for mankind with the people of all countries in the world. In this complex world fraught with uncertainties and instabilities, China will bring more certainties, more opportunities and more positive energy to the world.
Qin Gang expressed, in the new year, China will amaze foreign journalists more and give foreign journalists more reflection. Though different people will report China in different ways as they have different positions, mindsets and perspectives, China is strong enough to bear all of this. China has travelled a journey spanning the past seven decades amid various voices. The more attention we draw, the more resolute we will be when we forge ahead. We will run our own affairs well, tell the stories of China well and ensure a better future of China.
Du Feijin said Beijing has, in accordance with its strategic positioning, kept strengthening its role as the country’s political center, cultural center, international exchange center and technological innovation center. Driven by a new vision of development, it has made great strides in high-quality development, the well-being of the people, and pollution prevention and control. He noted that, in 2020, Beijing will continue to provide quality services for foreign journalists, promote friendly international relations, and contribute to the common prosperity of the world.
Nearly 500 people, including foreign journalists, diplomats and press officers of embassies in China, some representatives of Chinese central government departments and Beijing municipal departments, and executives of China’s major media, attended the reception.
