Mr Liu Yutong, Counsellor of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, has said the country’s economic growth could boost shared opportunities for global development.
Liu said this on Tuesday at the meeting between the ministry officials with Journalists who were in Weihai, Shandong province, China, under auspices of the China Africa Press Centre (CAPC) Programme 2022.
The meeting was hosted by Mr Yan Jianbo, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Weihai Municipal Committee.
Liu said, “I commend Journalists that are here to report on all developments that can be shared globally, since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
“This will further boost economic growth for the wellbeing of our people, as one of the lead cities in Shandong province.
“We will help the Journalist to understand the philosophy of Chinese governance which is centered on the people policy of the CPC.
“To enable them to understand economic progress China has made can further provide opportunities that can be shared across the world, therefore the need to establish consistent people-to-people connection.”
He described Weihai as a community located at the most strategic part of the Shandong peninsula to be characterised by unique features.
Also speaking, Mr Lin Haibin, Deputy-Director General of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Shandong Provincial People’s Government, said that more could be done to sustain the community’s growth.
“Shandong is a major province, in terms of economy, population and culture in the province and ranks as the third fastest growing province in the country.
“Shandong enjoys great history about heritage and culture; we are making great progress in our urbanization, our achievement is a result of the leadership style of President Xi Jinping’s and CPC’s philosophy.
“Weihai under Jinping’s administration has built a happy city in the province and is still breaking new grounds in the area of economic emancipation, for the wellbeing of the people.
“The philosophy of good governance remains the policy of the CPC and the development of China is an opportunity that can be shared by the larger world to promote growth,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Journalists, Mr Fortune Abang, Principal Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed gratitude to the ministry and the CPC officials for hosting them.
According to him, the need for Journalists to give balanced and truthful reports about community development could not be undermined in any way.
“There is no glory without a story; the best way to tell a story about every community to the world is through the competence of trained Journalists.
“This is because Journalists are the ultimate guarantor of the people’s right to know the unknown; every society needs journalists to be able to achieve meaningful growth,” Abang said.
In his remark, Yan, Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Weihai Municipal Committee, Weihai commended Weihai people as hospitable and open to economic growth.
According to him, the people value hospitality, kindness and sincerity.
“We are ecologically civilized in China and we are one of the top Municipality to have won award as civilized city in China, Yan said.
Highpoint of the event was visits to World War-1 Chinese Labourers Memorial and Friendship Forest, Maotou Mountain and Halley Group, WEGO Group and Dishang Group, and Weihai 1001 coastal and villages.
Weihai, located at eastern part of Shandong peninsula, covers an area of 5, 821,8km2 with a population of 2.9million people.
The community, also the demonstration area for local economic cooperation under China-Korea Free Trade Agreement, had won the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour and rank as China’s sanitary city.
No fewer than 90 journalists from 67 countries across Africa, Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, are participating in the programme, which began in June.
The programme, which is being hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), is expected to end in November.
