On the morning of April 20, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee held a meeting on people-to-people diplomacy to deliver the guiding principles of the CPC Central Committee on people-to-people diplomacy, review related work in 2022, and set key tasks for 2023. Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Sun Wenkai, Deputy Secretary-General of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, presided over the meeting.

It is necessary to further study and practice Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and take people-to-people diplomacy into account when planning and implementing the overall development of the Party, the country, and the capital in the new era, so as to take the city’s people-to-people diplomacy to a new level, as highlighted during the meeting.

According to the meeting, proactive efforts should be made to serve the diplomatic endeavor of the Party and the country, leverage the distinct features of the capital and work for tangible results. This involves presenting all the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and explaining the historical and global significance of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through the Chinese path to modernization from a non-governmental perspective and in a way that can resonate with the people. In addition, people-to-people bonds should be strengthened with Belt and Road countries to consolidate the foundation of friendship.

During the meeting, it was also emphasized that work in the area should better serve and integrate into the new development paradigm. Non-governmental organizations of all kinds at all levels should be fully mobilized to pool efforts from different areas for the capital’s high-quality opening up. Focus should also be placed on attracting high-end resources. Active measures should be taken to create and promote Beijing’s international image and to tell well-rounded and vivid stories about Beijing. Continuous efforts should be made to develop people-to-people diplomacy with novel forms, extensive influence, and lasting effects, which will greatly enhance Beijing’s soft power.

The meeting called for strengthening the Party’s leadership in the city’s people-to-people diplomacy. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee should reinforce coordination, while all member institutions and districts should discharge their primary responsibilities and see that all tasks are well performed, thereby improving the overall outcome of people-to-people diplomacy.

The meeting was also attended by officials from the relevant departments and bureaus of the central government, member institutions of the special mechanism for people-to-people diplomacy under the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and all district governments. Additionally, representatives from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Beijing Sub-council (CCPIT Beijing), Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), and China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) delivered speeches.