BEIJING- China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) held a closing ceremony for its 2024 first half program, attended by over 100 foreign journalists, some diplomats, as well as some senior Chinese officials including Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.

The ceremony, organized by China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), included various programs such as speeches and national performances by some journalists, as well as speeches by officials.

The following is some part of the speech delivered by Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.

“The CIPCC program for the first half of 2024 will soon come to a close. At this moment, I guess many of us have mixed feelings. We share your joy for completing the program, but regret to say goodbye.

Four months may be short in a person’s life. But in the past four months, you have all gained a rich experience in China. I’m sure you now know more about China than many foreign friends who have come to China dozens of times.

I still remember, soon after you arrived in Beijing, you got the opportunity to cover the Two Sessions. After that, you traveled from the capital Beijing to the southernmost Hainan, and from Fujian in the east to Xinjiang in the west. You have left your footprints in 12 Chinese provinces, and seen with your own eyes a vibrant and colorful China.

In Beijing, you went to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and Qianmen. You visited top Chinese companies, and spoke with experts in leading research institutes.

In Fujian, you visited the research base on the local tribe in Pingtan, and further learned about the fact that people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the same family.

In Xinjiang, you saw how desert turned into green cities, and listened to touching stories on ethnic harmony. It showed you a real Xinjiang that is stable, harmonious, prosperous and open to the world.

In Sichuan, you visited the Chengdu International Railway Port, and felt the pulse of Belt and Road cooperation. You bravely tried hotpot like the locals, and had a close encounter with the cute pandas.

In Shaanxi, you visited the site that used to be the Maowusu desert, and saw how people there fought desertification with courage and resolve.

From the Boao Forum for Asia to the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, from the China-Latin American and Caribbean States Space Cooperation Forum to the Meeting of China-CEEC Cooperation, from the China-Africa Youth Festival to the China-Eurasia Expo in Xinjiang, you have witnessed the fruitful results of China-EMDC cooperation and friendship.

Last Friday, you also attended the Conference on the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and listened to President Xi Jinping talking about the importance and relevance of the Five Principles and the Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.

I’m also glad to have joined you on this journey. Together with female journalists, we took a ride on the “Train Bound for Spring”, and watched a Chinese fashion show in the rain.

Through your journey in China, I’m sure you can see that China’s high-quality development and high-standard opening up are closely linked to the world. China’s development has and will continue to bring more opportunities for the world. According to the World Bank, from 2013 to 2021, China contributed 38.6 percent to global growth. This is more than the G7 countries combined. China is now a “locomotive” of global growth. We will continue to share opportunities for common development with all countries.

Through your journey in China, you can see that China is a defender of global peace and stability. The world today is not yet peaceful, but the EMDCs are rising together. They are no longer the silent majority, but a new and awakening force.

China will carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles, and strengthen unity and cooperation with all countries. Together, we should be the staunch force for peace, the core driving force for open development, the construction team of global governance, and the advocate for exchange among civilizations. And we should join hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

CIPCC is now in its 10th year. Ten years on, it has expanded in size, and grown from a regional press center to a global one. So far, 620 journalists from 141 countries have taken part in the program.

Once again, on behalf of the Foreign Ministry, I want to thank all our journalists for your hard work. Please take China as your second home. You are always welcome to come back home.”

China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC), under the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), has initiated a program to build a platform for the media from countries around the world, especially developing countries, to observe China and study development in this country.

In each edition of the program, journalists from all around the world gather together to get familiar with the modern China and exchange their experiences in the field of journalism.

In 2024 edition of the program for the first half of the year, started on February 26, and ended on June 30, over 100 journalists from more than 90 countries participated.