January 18, 2012

State Council Information Office

In 2011, on the principle of being timely, precise, public and transparent, the State Council Information Office has taken multiple ways to introduce the situation of economic, political, cultural and social development in China, set forth the principles, standpoints, guidelines and policies of the Chinese Government, actively respond to public opinions both at home and abroad, and vigorously improve the country's cultural soft power. It has mainly done work in the following aspects:

I. Effectively boosting news release work, and providing information on the economic and social development of China both in time and precisely.

In 2011, the Information Office held 78 press conferences, other departments both of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council held 626 news release conferences, and Party committees and governments at provincial (region or municipality directly under the Central Government) level held 1,507 press conferences. So, the press conferences held in 2011 totaled 2,211, 335 more than those in 2010. The press conferences held in 2011 were characterized with the following points: firstly, serial news release activities were performed surrounding the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the "12th Five-year Plan". Departments such as the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Party School of the CPC Central Committee were invited to introduce the building and development of the CPC in the press conferences; journalists both from China and foreign countries were organized to gather information on the State Archives Administration of the People's Republic of China, the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, the Yan'an Revolutionary Historical Relics and the China Yan'an Executive Leadership Academy, introducing the glorious history and great achievements of the CPC vividly; press conferences attended by outstanding CPC party members at basic units and Party affair workers were held, presenting the exemplary role and sublime spirit of CPC members at basic units; and journalists both from China and foreign countries were organized to gather information for the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC. Under the theme of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, all local departments in China performed various activities to release information on CPC affairs. Meanwhile, 2011 was the first year of the "12th Five-year Plan". Surrounding the "12th Five-year Plan", we invited such departments as the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and the State Administration of Work Safety and pertinent leaders from Hebei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces to introduce situations. Secondly, the building of a news release system was further boosted. From the perspective of the building of a news spokesperson system in Party committees, spokesperson systems have been set up in 13 departments and units of the Central Committee of the CPC, 31 provinces (regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government), the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, five separately planned cities and all provincial capitals' CPC committees. The building of a news release system in governments has been further improved, and efforts have been made on the building of systemization and regularization. Thirdly, the research, discussion and training concerning news release work have been further intensified. We held symposiums attended by spokespersons and news work leaders from 74 related departments of the CPC Central Committee and of the Central Government, carefully summarized the successful results of work on governmental news release, and actively shared experience for further boosting the news release work. We have held training sessions for spokespersons of CPC committees at national level and training sessions for the public opinions channeling work on emergency incidents, training in succession spokespersons both from departments of the CPC Central Committee and those from the CPC committees and governments at provincial (region or municipality directly under the State Council) level. We have cooperated with the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the CPC and the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CPC to hold "advanced training sessions for news release and public opinion channeling work", intensifying the consciousness of transparent Party affairs and governmental affairs among leading cadres at all levels and their abilities and levels to contact the media.

II. Organizing the writing and publishing of the white papers of the Central Government, explaining to the international community the Chinese Government's policies and propositions on important issues.

China published nine white papers in 2011, more than any other year in history. We have organized the writing and publishing of the white paper China's Peaceful Development, solemnly stating and profoundly explaining that China's adherence to the path of peaceful development is a historical certainty and has its world significance. This has helped the international community to better understand the trend of future development of China. We have organized the writing and publishing of the white paper The Socialist System of Laws with Chinese Characteristics, which completely and systematically expatiates on the formation, structure and characteristics of the legal system of China and the further improvement of it. This white paper is a publication about the building of governance by law next to the China's Efforts and Achievements in Promoting the Rule of Law published in 2008. We have organized the writing and publishing of the white paper China's National Defense in 2010, introducing the two-year modernization of national defense and army of China in all aspects, and presenting an image of opening and transparency. We have organized the writing and publishing of the two white papers China's Foreign Trade and China's Foreign Aid, giving a comprehensive introduction to the efforts that China has made to join the world economy and build a harmonious world of permanent peace and common prosperity, and reflecting China's image of a responsible large country. We have organized the writing and publishing of the white paper Sixty Years since Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, employing convincing historical facts and data to introduce the historical achievements that Tibet has made in the 60 years since its peaceful liberation. We have organized the writing and publishing of New Progress in Development-oriented Poverty Reduction Program for Rural China, systematically introducing the efforts and achievements that China has made in relieving and eliminating poverty in rural areas, and sufficiently reflecting the important contributions that China has made to the cause of global poverty reduction. In addition, we have also published the white papers China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2011) and China's Space Activities in 2011.

III. Actively promoting the exchanges and cooperation in the field of news reports between China and other countries, and improving mutual understanding and friendship.

We have actively promoted the exchanges and cooperation with news administration departments of other countries, signing memorandums with news administration departments of the four countries of Kenya, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam. We have worked hard to develop our exchanges and cooperation with news administration departments of governments of neighboring countries. We have successfully held the first session of "China-Eurasia Expo Forum of Ministers Responsible for Information", the third session of "China-ROK High-level Media Dialogue" and the sixth session of "China-Japan Media Dialogue", organizing more than 250 young Chinese media workers, successively in three groups, to pay visits to Japan, and inviting journalists from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and young Japanese media workers to interview in China. We have strengthened and developed the exchanges and cooperation with the media in developing countries. We have held symposiums for news officials from Arab countries, symposiums for ministers responsible for information from developing countries, symposiums for governmental news officials from Africa and symposiums for news journalists from Latin American countries. These activities have promoted our association with the media in developing countries, and improved mutual acquaintance and understanding. Together with Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have held the first session of "China-Germany Media Dialogue" themed with the "Common Ground and Differences between Chinese and Germany Media", and come to an agreement that the Dialogue will be held in the two countries in turn each year. Besides, we have invited delegations of the media from the US, Britain, Australia, Greece, Pakistan, Bengal to pay visits to China and given them a warm reception.

IV. Actively organizing the production of publications and the performance of cultural exchange activities, making China better known to the world.

We have elaborately staged and produced national publicity films "Characters Chapter" and "Point-of-View Chapter" and broadcasted them overseas, presenting the modern image of China to the world from multiple points and all aspects. Relying on the "China Book International Project" and the "Project for Translation and Publication of Chinese Cultural Works", we have actively promoted the Chinese culture to "go global". According to preliminary statistics, by the end of 2011, these two projects have recommended more than 6,100 kinds of Chinese books overseas, presenting the quintessence of cultural products such as the Analects of Confucius, the Dream of the Red Chamber and the History of Chinese Civilisation. We have performed the national image promotion activity "Experience China" in India, Indonesia, Austria, Russia and Germany. In particular, the "Experience China—Sichuan Week in India" was the first comprehensive activity of the "Year of China-India Exchange in 2011" formally initiated by President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the "2011 BRICS summit" in Sanya. The "Experience China" activities into Austria have been designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of foreign relations between China and Austria and facilitate the Austria people to experience wonderful Chinese culture.

V. Creating healthy and orderly internet environments, and strengthening international exchanges and cooperation in the field of the internet.

On May 4, 2011, the National Internet Information Office was established, which means that the internet information service and administration work in China have entered a new stage. Within the guidelines of active utilization, scientific development, administration by law and security insurance, we have actively boosted the healthy and orderly development of the internet in China. By the end of 2011, China's netizens had amounted to 513 million; cell phone web users were nearly 360 million; and nearly half of Chinese netizens were using microblogs. The number of Chinese netizens ranks first in the world. We have actively boosted the use of the internet in the field of national economy and social life, making it more extensive and more profound. Jointly with related departments, the Information Office has made special efforts to restrain erotic and rustic information on the internet and cell phones, the illegal information on adult appliances and drugs in the internet, illegal public relation activities in the internet, and illegal multi-level marketing in the internet. After a period of special rectification, the pornographic and rustic styles in the internet and cell phone media have been effectively held back, and internet cultural environments have been notably improved. So, it has received both praise from the people and active response from all circles of the society. And also, we have staged a national activity to build civilized websites, vigorously developed the style of internet civilization, constantly improved the legal consciousness and legal attainment of website practitioners, and really improved the levels of websites in running civilized websites by law. We have organized and performed the internet activity to "express warmth and solicitude", promoting the truth, good and beauty and denouncing falseness, evil and ugliness, developing the internet morality characterized with caring about others and taking pleasure in helping others. The Information Office pays much attention to the international exchanges and cooperation in the field of the internet, and it has successfully held The Fourth China-UK Internet Roundtable and The Fifth China-US Forum on the Internet, which has helped the international community to understand the development status and policies of the internet in China.

VI. Giving comprehensive introduction to the human rights development status and human rights assertions in China, and extensively performing international exchanges and cooperation for human rights.

We have organized and held an assessment and summarization meeting on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), and published the Assessment Report on the National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2009-2010), summarizing the implementation of the action plan on human rights and the important achievements of the cause of human rights in China in these two years from all aspects, and started the making of a new edition of National Human Rights Action Plan. We have helped the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development to successfully hold the "Fourth Beijing Forum on Human Rights", profoundly discussing the theme of "Cultural Tradition, Values and Human Rights". This activity has made positive achievements. We have published The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2010, in which we have employed many facts and data to systematically disclose the misdeeds committed to human rights in the USA and its double standards in the issue of human rights, in view of the distortion and denouncement of the human rights status in China made by the State Department of the USA in its 2010 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. It is for the 12th time that we publish the human rights records of the USA in succession. We have organized the compilation of China's Human Rights in Action in 2010, fully recording the laws and regulations concerning human rights, newly passed, amended and put in force in 2010, the particular measures and activities that both the Chinese government and the people have performed in boosting the development of the cause of human rights, and typical cases for the protection and relief of all human rights of citizens. We have held two sessions of training courses on human rights knowledge, and established national bases of human rights education and training, really improving leading cadres' theoretical level and knowledge of human rights.

2012 is an important transitional year for the implementation of China's "12th Five-year Plan" and a key year for the implementation of the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee. The CPC will hold its 18th National Congress. We sincerely welcome friends from the media of all countries to pay visits to, gather information on and report China. We will seriously carry out the interview rules for foreign countries' resident news agencies and foreign reporters, and continue to provide services for friends of the media to comprehensively, in time and precisely learn about the economic and social development of China. In this new year, we will adopt an opener attitude and take more vigorous measures to make the voice of China be widely heard throughout the world, improve the international community's knowledge and understanding of China's basic national information, values, development path, and its domestic and foreign policies, and present the image of China's civilization, democracy, opening and progress.

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