Acting on the philosophy of “foreign affairs for the people”, Beijing Foreign Affairs Office has been promoting preventive consular protection in innovative forms to disseminate consular protection knowledge. On September 6, the Final for the Second Beijing Consular Protection Knowledge Contest successfully concluded, with 12 finalists competing fiercely. Eventually, one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, and six excellent prizes were presented.

A high-profile event with broad participation

Since its launch on July 5, the contest had garnered attention from all sectors of society, drawing over 30,000 participants, including foreign-related enterprises, overseas students, and foreign affairs officials both within and outside Beijing. The event fully leveraged the latest outcome of Beijing’s systematic consular protection education, and seamlessly integrated it with promotional activities such as the Consular Protection Lecture, Consular Protection for All, and the Consular Protection Sitcom Competition. This comprehensive approach empowered contestants by stimulating their interest and enthusiasm in learning about consular protection, ensuring that they can retain, understand, and apply such knowledge effectively.

A highly professional and practical event

Experts from overseas security institutions and renowned universities in Beijing, including China University of Political Science and Law, People’s Public Security University of China, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China Foreign Affairs University, and Beijing International Studies University, were invited to participate in various stages of the competition, including online selection, semi-final evaluation, and the final round. The event displayed a diverse range of challenging and engaging segments in the preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds, which covered compulsory questions, quick response questions, PK rounds, and risk-taking questions. The extensive question bank encompassed a broad spectrum of topics and practical skills related to the outcomes of the new consular protection system, such as overseas security knowledge, risk prevention skills, legal and cultural differences and psychological counseling.

Enhancing publicity and learning through competition

This successful competition served both as a test of knowledge about consular protection, and as a platform to learn, promote, and implement the Regulation of the People’s Republic of China on Consular Protection and Assistance and the latest edition of the Guide to China’s Consular Protection and Assistance. Through pre-contest training and Q&A sessions, we aimed to provide participants with comprehensive overseas safety knowledge and information to enhance their overseas safety awareness and risk prevention capabilities, ultimately fostering a sense of responsibility for their own overseas safety. The contestants all stated that the competition was indeed a rewarding experience. Centering on the realities of overseas safety, the contest combined learning with competition by incorporating real-life examples, general knowledge sharing, and fun quizzes. This model boosted participants’ confidence and gave them a more comprehensive understanding of consular protection.

Improving consular protection services is our relentless pursuit, and we are marching onward with renewed efforts. Beijing Foreign Affairs Office will continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of consular protection services, to better meeting people’s overseas consular protection needs. By forging a strong shield to protect our citizens and enterprises, we aim to enhance the sense of gain, happiness and security of the people.