As the emergence of new media brings both challenges and opportunities, China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) should make the best of new channels to promote dissemination of information and influence, spokespersons said at the first China-CEEC Spokespersons dialogue.

The dialogue was held by China in Beijing on July 17, at which Chinese spokesmen and spokeswomen exchanged views with representatives from 13 CEEC countries on the role new media plays in the joint construction of Belt and Road and global communication.

Jiang Jianguo, director of the State Council Information Office, said about 5,000 news conferences held in China last year, adding that government releases timely and accurate news via all kinds of new media.

Albania’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Glevin Dervishi, pointed out that such dialogue not only strengthened communication between spokespersons, but provided participants with a good opportunity to know China’s development situation as well as its reform and opening-up process.

Taking the WeChat official account of Shanghai as example, it was discovered that its influence topped the list of all new media outlets of Chinese government agencies dedicated to the coverage of government affairs with 3.25 million users. The account integrates many service functions, including information on weather, individual income tax and medical insurance, all packaged into one, Xu Wei, spokesperson of the Information Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government noted.