On August 20, the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government successfully held the 3rd Monthly Consular Protection Lecture, showing support for Beijingers living abroad. Gu Xingfa, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Committee of China Zhi Gong Party, presided over the event, and Xia Liping, member of Beijing Expert Panel on Foreign Affairs and professor of China Foreign Affairs University, gave a lecture on consular protection titled “Consular Protection and How to Stay Safe Abroad”. More than 1,600 overseas Chinese participated in the event online.
Gu Xingfa thanked the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government for its support for Beijingers staying or living abroad and for providing “one-stop” services for overseas Chinese through concrete actions. The Beijing Municipal Committee of China Zhi Gong Party is concerned about the safety of overseas Chinese. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the committee has conducted special operation to show solidarity with overseas Chinese and has sent gift packages to overseas Chinese and students from Beijing to show support for them, he said.
Using vivid examples, Professor Xia Liping expounded on the definition and role of consular protection and shared practical knowledge on how to deal with emergencies and stay safe abroad, including what consular protection can do in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese.”
Participants in the online event gave thumbs-up to the lecture, praising it as helpful and informative. “I used to think I had nothing to do with consular protection; now I know it really matters for us,” one of them said.
“Today's lecture is highly relevant and informative.”
“Great lecture, very detailed.”
Since the start of COVID-19, the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal Government has promoted preventive consular protection in various forms. So far, it has held three online monthly lectures on consular protection, safety tips, and precautions against the virus to increase the safety awareness of Chinese compatriots abroad and improve their skills to prevent and control risks.
