China will make the most of current strategic opportunities to present itself to the world, said Wang Chen, Minister of the State Council Information Office.

China will reach out to the world with greater openness to facilitate its efforts to promote economic and social development and build a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way, said Wang, who also heads the International Communication Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

It will project the "soft power" of Chinese culture while fostering an objective and friendly international public opinion. In this way, it will showcase a positive national image of prosperity, development, democracy, progress, advanced culture, openness, peace and harmony, Wang said at the National International Communication Conference in Beijing on January 4-5.

The 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10) was an eventful period in the history of China's development, said a news release from the conference. It was a period when China's international status and influence notably increased. It was also a time when China tried to let the world know more about the country and present its image of a responsible global player.

Remarkable progress was made in international communication, said the news release. For instance, while China became more capable of presenting itself to the outside world, government information service and spokesperson systems continued to improve. The coverage of a series of major events--happy occasions and difficult situations alike--made a far-reaching impact on international audiences. International communication capacity building sped up, leading to a strengthened ability to provide information about China to the international community. Improvements were made in news dissemination on new media including the Internet and the regulation of new media. Given the increasing interest shown by the world community in China's development and change as well as its growing desire to learn more about China, the international communication sector faces both challenges and opportunities.

The international communication sector should take into account both domestic and international situations to do a good job in 2011, the news release said. It will deliver information about China and transmit China's voice more proactively. It will inform the rest of the world about China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) and progress in implementing the plan in 2011. It will effectively cover major events, including celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, for international audiences. It will also publicize China's commitment to following the path of peaceful development and promoting world harmony as well as the country's concrete efforts in these respects.

China will improve the government information service system. It will release more information on the central tasks of the CPC and the government. It will invite foreign media professionals to China while branching out to the world in a bid to enhance mutual trust, dispel suspicions and boost friendly ties between China and other countries. It will promote the development of new media and strengthen regulation to promote the healthy and orderly development of the Internet. It will step up capacity building for international communication. It will also work to enhance the international competitiveness and influence of Chinese culture, while presenting the real, multifaceted and developing China to the rest of the world.

Conference participants included directors of international communication offices of the CPC committees of China's provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, major cities and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps officials in charge of international communication at CPC central departments and Central Government agencies, officials of leading media organizations and representatives from Chinese diplomatic missions abroad.