The Elite Talk, a high-end multimedia interview program produced and hosted by People's Daily Online chief editor Li Zhenyu, was voted as the "Best Work of International Communication" by the State Council Information Office on Thursday at the 4th National Conference on International Communication held in Chongqing.

At the conference, Li was honored with the "Outstanding Paper Award" by the State Council Information Office in recognition of his research paper on international communication and the work he has done in promoting mutual understanding between China and the West.

The award was presented by head of the State Council Information Office Jiang Jianguo, who also serves as deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. It is the nation's highest honor given in the field of media and international communication.

In attendance at the ceremony were head of the State Council Information Office Jiang Jianguo, former vice minister of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs He Yafei, head of the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration Zhou Mingwei, vice president of the China International Publishing Group Wang Gangyi, president of the Beijing Foreign Studies University Han Zhen, former chief editor of the China Daily Zhu Yinghuang, as well as other 280-plus participants, which consist of senior officials, prominent media professionals and scholars from central government organizations, major media groups, universities, think tanks and information offices of regional governments.

The biennial National Conference on International Communication, hosted by the State Council Information Office, was the most authoritative and influential conference in the field of international communication in China. It is designed to explore innovative approaches for international communication and increase mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world.

The Elite Talk show, an original production of People's Daily Online, is a bilingual multimedia talk program, which brings together some of the biggest names in the global business community to discuss major topics and trends in China's business and finance.

The program's special guests include Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, the 48th Prime Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme, former U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce Francisco Sánchez, former U.S. Undersecretary of Treasury Timothy Adams, former Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Donald Kohn, and APEC Executive Director Alan Bollard, among others.

Senior diplomats Li Shengjiao, Wu Jianmin and Pei Yuanying, People's Daily executive Shi Mingshen and Morgan Stanley executive David Z. Li serve as special consultants to the program. People's Daily Online chief editor Li Zhenyu is the founding producer and host of the program.

In addition to the Elite Talk, Li is also the founder of some of other premier digital media brands such as the Examining China's Biz and Voice of China Business Podcast, which are run on People's Daily's official website and other new media platforms.

A winner of multiple major Chinese media awards, Li has been at the forefront of China's media innovation since 2005. He was the first who brought multimedia elements to People's Daily's reporting.

His family has served the People's Daily for three generations since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

As an established media and communication expert, Li is a Chinese delegate to the International Communication Association (ICA) and International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). He is also a guest lecturer at the Communication University of China (CUC), China's top university in media and communication.