China's FM meets public to discuss diplomacy in 2013

2013 marks a year of achievement for Chinese diplomacy. On Wednesday, Foreign Ministry held an event with the general public, acknowledging key people behind China.s diplomatic work this year while also addressing their concerns.

It's part of the Ministry's drive to expand public diplomacy.

In this multi-polar and digitalized world, diplomacy is no longer exclusively for diplomats and politicians. It's more open to the public.

For many of them, it's the first time they have entered such a building, let alone meet with senior diplomats face to face.

As the year winds down, the Foreign Ministry held a seminar on China.s diplomacy in 2013, bringing together its department heads and ordinary people.

Liu Jianxi is a lawyer. Like many of the attendees, he applied online through social media. He calls the activity "meaningful and significant".

"I think this is a very good activity. It makes the Foreign Ministry.s work less mysterious to the common people. I think more governmental organs should learn from this example. This is the trend for the near future," Liu Jianxi said.

As technology advances, the public.s interest in foreign affairs has created a new dimension in diplomacy. It's a global trend that brings traditional practices onto a two-way road. The ministry's policy planning chief highlights the importance of public opinion in China.s foreign policy planning.

"The fundamental goal of our work is to serve our people, as the people are a crucial source that powers our work. We need people.s support and participation, so we listen to public opinion carefully and take it seriously. Meanwhile, we must identify radical and extreme voices. They are not a true reflection of the majority's opinion," said Cai Run, Director of Dept. of Policy Planning.

Therefore, it.s important for diplomats to maximize national interests on the world stage and relay their achievements to the public in plain words. Sino-US relations and China's territorial disputes with some neighbouring countries are significant enough to be addressed at this seminar.

"The highlight of Sino-US ties this year was the meeting between the two presidents in California in June. They stayed away from Washington and spent more than eight hours together, discussing international affairs and domestic politics. They addressed the will to cooperate and the respect toward differences. It.s unprecedented in history," said Xie Feng, Director of Dept. of N American &Oceanian Affairs.

"Overall, China's border remains stable this year. There are few sensitive issues that raised wide concerns. Some are unavoidable fractions between neighbours, while some are actually a sensationalized campaign fanned by some nations for their own interests," said Ouyang Yujing, Director of Dept. of Boundary &Ocean Affairs.

Besides holding seminars in the real world, the Foreign Ministry is also extending its reach on the Internet. Its account on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, now has more than 5 million followers. The ministry has also launched apps on mobile platforms to better cope with the public.s interest.