Recently, the 2025 Plenary Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee & District Leading Group for Improving Beijing’s Role as the Center for International Exchanges was held. Sun Xinjun, Secretary of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Chen Xiansen, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee and District Mayor, presided over the meeting. Other district leaders, including Wang Dapin, Wang Huawei, Huang Dan, Ren Jianghao, Wang Zhiyong, Wang Youming, and He Xingda, were also in attendence.

The meeting conveyed the guiding principles from the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and reported the 2024 foreign affairs work of Dongcheng District, the work summary of Dongcheng District in improving Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges, and the plan for official overseas visits in 2025. Attendees reviewed and approved the List of Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee (Dongcheng District Leading Group for Improving Beijing’s Role as the Center for International Exchanges), the 2025 Key Tasks of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Dongcheng District, the 2025 Key Tasks of the Dongcheng District Leading Group for Improving Beijing’s Role as the Center for International Exchanges, the Opinions on Enhancing the Service Capacity of Venues for Foreign-Related Activities in Dongcheng District, and the Measures for Dongcheng District to Support the High-Quality Economic Development through Work on Foreign Affairs and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs. Dongcheng District Education Commission, Dongcheng District Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Dongcheng Branch of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Qianmen Subdistrict delivered remarks.

To achieve continuous progress in improving Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges and strengthening foreign affairs work, Sun Xinjun made the following requirements:

First, with unified thinking and great determination, the District should tackle changes of the times from a strategic perspective. The District should proactively shoulder responsibilities and pioneer new pathways. This includes aligning thinking and actions with the decisions and arrangements of the diplomatic endeavors of the Party and the country, as well as the requirements of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Beijing Municipal Government. It is imperative to thoroughly comprehend the political rationale, current challenges, core principles, and underlying dynamics of foreign affairs work. The District should shoulder its significant political responsibilities, fulfill its foreign affairs duties, and respond to various external uncertainties with the steadfastness in its work.

Second, the District should stay mission-driven and focused to advance building the center for international exchanges with greater commitment. The District must closely align with two priorities, serving the overall diplomacy of the country and foreign affairs of the capital, and promoting high-quality development in core areas. The District should steadily forge ahead on completing its work and constructing functional buildings, while improving service capacity. Efforts should be made to improve its service capacity and to deliver foreign-related services within the District. Additionally, it is imperative to pioneer approaches to strengthen international engagement, with priority given to formulating a special plan for enhancing Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Leveraging Dongcheng’s rich resources and technological strengths, the District will cultivate new diplomatic scenarios and routes, tapping into its strengths in technology, culture, and theatrical resources to achieve dual enhancement in infrastructure development and service capacities.

Third, the District should form synergy and pioneer innovative approaches to advance regional high-quality development through concrete actions. It should steadfastly bolster confidence in stabilizing foreign investment and trade, actively leverage the “two zones” policy, and intensify efforts to visit key foreign-funded and foreign trade enterprises. It is also important to ensure high-quality participation in major events, including the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium, and the Beijing-Macao Cooperation Conference, while facilitating the landing of high-quality projects. The District should also deepen sister-city ties and broaden international “circle of friends”, strengthen guidance for economic and trade cooperation with sister cities, and energize people-to-people exchanges. Continuous efforts should be made to improve the foreign-related service environment by building a comprehensive service network, refining the foreign-related service system, and fostering an open and inclusive international atmosphere.

Fourth, the District should improve its work mechanisms, ensure overall coordination, and strengthen the Party’s leadership of foreign affairs through improved work practices. The District should align its foreign affairs work with the diplomatic efforts of the Party and the country. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee and the District Leading Group for Improving Beijing’s Role as the Center for International Exchanges should fully leverage their roles in charting the course, crafting overall plans, and ensuring implementation, while strengthening strategic planning and top-level design for the District’s foreign affairs and intensifying research and arrangements on major issues. The Foreign Affairs Office of Dongcheng District should have a clear understanding of its functional position and reinforce its capacity to fulfill its duties, while enhancing overall coordination and standardized management of foreign affairs in the District. All member units should effectively fulfill their main responsibilities in foreign affairs to jointly write a new chapter in this field.