国内英语新闻:Senior Chinese official attends Belt and Road News Network First Council Meeting

BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Tuesday attended the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road News Network First Council Meeting.

Huang, also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, read President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the meeting and delivered a speech.

Huang said President Xi's congratulatory letter fully demonstrates the great importance the Chinese government attaches to the Belt and Road News Network and recognizes the positive role media has played in jointly building the Belt and Road.

He pointed out that the founding of the network as proposed by President Xi is a major move to deepen Belt and Road media cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

"Media in different countries should seize the general trend that the joint construction of the Belt and Road is moving towards high-quality development," Huang said, adding that media should strengthen dialogue and exchanges, and deepen practical cooperation.

He also called on media to make good use of the network to generate sound reports on the practices of jointly constructing the Belt and Road and reports that showcase the hard-working spirit of people from different countries.

A total of 40 mainstream media organizations from 25 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America took part in the meeting. So far, 182 media organizations from 86 countries around the world have joined the network. Chinese newspaper People's Daily serves as council chair.