BEIJING, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2020 Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing's New Development, sponsored by Information Office of Beijing Municipality and organized by CRI Online of China Media Group, officially kicked off on December 8 in the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture in Beijing.

The opening ceremony for this event was attended and addressed by Xu Hejian, Deputy Director of the Communication Department of the CPC Beijing Committee and Director of Information Office of Beijing Municipality, Fan Jianping, Director of CRI Online, and Luis Diego Monsalve, Columbian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. It was also attended by international social media influencers from Columbia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Italy, Switzerland, South Africa, UK and the U.S., as well as representatives from administrative departments and organizations concerned.

Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing is a specific measure for Beijing to implement the Belt and Road Initiative. As a brand activity to publicize Beijing to the world, seven such events have been celebrated for five years consecutively. This has become an important window to showcase the genuine image of Beijing.

Xu Hejian said in his address that Beijing is a cultural hub with a long history. As a city with a history of over 3,000 years and a capital standing for 860 years, it has the largest number of world heritage sites on the planet. This metropolis has witnessed the long-standing Chinese civilization.

Beijing is a vigorous innovative city, Xu Hejian said. At present, it keeps seeking opportunities to develop in an innovative and quality way as the capital of the People's Republic of China. The city highlights opening-up and development, and it is characterized by scientific and technological innovation, opening-up in the service sector, the digital economy as well as regional collaboration and opening-up. Beijing aims to create an international first-rate business environment.

Xu said that Beijing is an open, inclusive and friendly city. It is determined to keep up with the world and the era. The inclusive city aims to improve itself for common goals and develop together with other countries, as it realizes the world is a community with a shared future. Bridges of friendship have been built up to help people in Beijing and international cities visit each other and become friends.

Xu Hejian hoped social media influencers will capture the new developments of Beijing through their cameras, make stories of Beijing widely heard, and demonstrate a comprehensive, real and lively Beijing to the rest of the world.

Fan Jianping, Director of CRI Online introduced that CRI Online is a leading news website under China Media Group, and grows to be an international new media platform that is trusted and acclaimed globally. In recent years, CRI Online has leveraged on its full-spectrum converging media plaforms to tell stories of Beijing and China to make them heard worldwide.

Fan Jianping pointed out that the 2020 Silk Road Rediscovery Tour of Beijing's New Development is commenced in a new way "Daka", namely taking snaps at destinations. He hoped that social media influencers will capture the city image in new ways and from new angles, use their stories to showcase Beijing's achievements in high-quality development and high-level opening-up, and present a real and comprehensive China to the world.

"Beijing is both an imperial city and a metropolis. Beijing is a city that is definitely preparing for hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics. As the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, I have confidence that Beijing will impress the world, fulfilling the promise to host a green Olympics." Luis Diego Monsalve, Columbian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, spoke at the opening ceremony.

He said, "As a city that looks towards the future, an important collaboration between China and Columbia which is related to technological innovation. In 2019 Colombia established a new Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation which can really leverage upon Beijing experience that has made great achievements on this matter. We look forward to promoting our collaboration."

Harald Simeon Buchmann, an economic & political commentator from Switzerland, says, "I'm very excited about this tour. We all are foreigners living in China. We all have experienced that the strength of China is to align and integrate the vast diversity of the country and the population, creating shared value for all, even for us foreigners, and making sure that all parts of society can reap the spoils of this development. These 4 days will give us the opportunity to deepen our understanding, how this is achieved, and to get a glimpse of the challenges and success of the Beijing Municipality."

In the next 4 days, by visiting Zhongguancun Exhibition Center, Beijing Daxing International Airport, Shougang Park, etc., the international social media influencers will learn more about Beijing's latest achievements in its economic growth, urban construction, technological and cultural innovation. They will present the charms of this international metropolis through livestream or written posts, and showcase the newest and best Beijing to the whole world.