The State Council Information Office (SCIO) will double its efforts to provide better and more convenient service for journalists covering China in the coming year.

Zhao Qizheng, minister of the SCIO, made the resolution at an early New Year reception on Friday night in Beijing.

More than 300 people from domestic and overseas media organizations, diplomatic missions, ministries and commissions under the central government and commercial firms took part in the reception hosted by the SCIO.

Zhao took the opportunity to thank friends from various circles for their understanding, support and cooperation, especially those journalists who have been consistent in their focus on China.

They have made efforts to introduce China to the rest of the world in a timely, objective and thorough way, he told the reception.

The year has been the SCIO's busiest since the establishment of the government news briefing mechanism, with 58 press conferences.

A total of 62 departments under the State Council and 20 provincial governments have appointed spokespersons across China.

In the past year, the SCIO published four white papers and improved training of 2,000 spokespersons at various levels of government.

Large-scale cultural events overseas to introduce China which has progressed significantly in all fields in the last 12 months to the rest of the world, have also been organized by the SCIO, added Zhao.

(China Daily December 18, 2004)