On November 27, the press conference for the 2024 "Understanding China" Conference (Guangzhou) took place in Beijing. Xu Weixin, President of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy (CIIDS) and former Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, Yang Tao, Vice President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), Deng Hong, Deputy Director-General of the Information Office of the Guangdong Provincial Government, and Bao Wei, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, attended the press conference. The press conference was chaired by Feng Wei, Vice President of CIIDS.

The 2024 "Understanding China" Conference (Guangzhou) will be held from December 2 to 4 at the Guangzhou Yue Xiu International Conference Center. With the theme "Carry Through the Reform to the End: Chinese Modernization and New Opportunities for World Development," the conference will gather globally renowned politicians, scholars, industry leaders, and representatives of international organizations to discuss the important historical mission and global significance of Chinese modernization to promoting the world modernization process. It will comprehensively showcase the distinctive features, path of practices, and vivid development of Chinese modernization, and help inject more Chinese wisdom and strength of the times into a turbulent and changing world.

The conference is jointly organized by the CIIDS, the CPIFA, and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and is hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government. The three-day event includes an opening ceremony, keynote speeches, plenary speeches, guest dialogues, six parallel seminars, 14 special forums, two closed-door seminars, and a series of supporting activities. Except for the closed-door seminars, all other meetings and related activities are open to the media.

As of now, 100 representatives from foreign countries and the Hong Kong and Macao regions have confirmed their participation, including nine former political leaders at the president or prime minister levels, 16 at the ministerial level, and two diplomatic envoys to China. Over 200 Chinese guests will speak at the conference. The total number of participants is estimated to be around 600.

The number of foreign guests attending the conference far exceeds previous editions. This indicates the growing international influence of the "Understanding China" Conference, and the desire of more international figures to engage in dialogue and exchanges at the intellectual level, and build consensus through this platform.

Xu Weixin laid out the several notable features of the setting of the conference's agenda: first, it promotes the world significance of China's further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernization; second, it demonstrates the features and achievements of Chinese modernization, and how China's further deepening reform comprehensively injects vitality into the world; third, it promotes the fine traditional Chinese culture and facilitates cultural exchanges and mutual learning; fourth, it showcases the distinctive advantages and development prospects of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the splendor of the region leading Chinese modernization.

Xu Weixin said, "Faced with the turbulent world situation, China is a staunch force of stability in a world of uncertainty. Based on this, this conference takes the initiative to set the agenda, focuses on the essence of the issues, and seeks to work with the eminent delegates to the conference to find solutions. Through cultural exchanges, we hope countries around the world would see how China brings its wisdom and strength to bear in pursuing common good for the world, and gain a better understanding of China and the Communist Party of China." 

The international situation is fraught with increasing instability and uncertainty, and globalization faces immense challenges. Human society is confronted with deficit in governance, trust, development, and peace. These deficits are ultimately rooted in the "deficit of understanding" between different countries and civilizations. This has made people-to-people diplomacy and public diplomacy all the more important. 

Yang Tao said that one of the important responsibilities of people-to-people diplomacy is to tell the Chinese story in a way that is understandable, acceptable, and credible to the outside world, to present a true, comprehensive, and multi-dimensional China. The tremendous achievements of Chinese modernization have aroused a keener interest around the world in the Chinese path, system, theory, and solution. CPIFA will tap into lively materials and cases, and through the various exchange platforms such as the "Understanding China" Conference, welcome more guests from the world to China, and make the Chinese voice better heard. The aim is to tell the true Chinese story better and spread it further, for the world to better know and understand China.

Deng Hong, when introducing the preparation work of the conference, said, "The 'Understanding China' Conference is an important international exchange event approved by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, and is now held in Guangzhou in an institutionalized way. After years of development, this event has become an important platform for Guangdong's international exchanges. Reform and opening up are the root and soul of Guangdong's innovation-driven development. This year's conference will also pool the wisdom of all participants to provide strong intellectual support for the advancement of Guangdong's reform and opening up."

Bao Wei said that the "Understanding China" Conference has the advantages of high-level guests, large media presence, and extensive reach and influence. Guangzhou will harness the spillover effects of the conference. Under the theme of "Discover China, Experience the Charm of Guangzhou," we will host three "Understanding Guangzhou" sub-forums with the focus of building a central world city and a new Guangzhou, and launch the "Guangzhou in Stamps" event. In addition, we will hold the 2024 "Guangzhou: A City That Makes the World Beautiful" Global Images Story Collection Exhibition and the "Charming Guangzhou, Lovely China" Short Video Collection Event. Bao Wei said, "We hope the international guests will not only understand China, but also understand Guangzhou and fall in love with Guangzhou."