N Video from Southern Metropolis Daily:

As more and more Chinese citizens and companies go abroad, their first thought is the motherland and seeking help from Chinese embassies and consulates abroad when they are in trouble. I would like to ask, how does Chinese diplomacy deliver on the commitment of "diplomacy for the people" and protect legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens overseas? Thank you.

Ma Zhaoxu:

Since the 18th National Congress, as people-to-people exchanges and China's overseas interests have constantly expanded, the duties and responsibilities guided by the commitment of "diplomacy for the people" have become heavier and heavier. We have always adhered to the CPC's fundamental tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly, providing safe havens for overseas compatriots. The motherland will always be the strong backing of the Chinese people.

We have actively supported the construction of the new development paradigm and continuously facilitated exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel. We have efficiently coordinated relations between epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, overcome difficulties brought by the epidemic, established "fast tracks" for necessary personnel exchanges, and built "green channels" for the transportation of emergency materials.

We have constantly improved our consular service network to effectively address people's needs and worries. More than 280 embassies and consular agencies around the world have provided consular services to overseas Chinese citizens. We have further promoted the transformation and upgrading of consular services, significantly reduced fees for Chinese citizens to obtain relevant documents, innovatively conducted overseas remote video notarization, and comprehensively launched the mobile application "China Consular Affairs." We have rolled out a set of convenient services, such as online processing of overseas passports and travel permits, online verification of consular certification, and online appointment of marriage registration, to free people from going on errands through wider use of online services. The Chinese passport has become increasingly useful, making it easier for Chinese citizens to go abroad to visit family members and relatives, travel, or conduct business. According to some netizens, a Chinese passport not only leads you to a wider world, but also brings you home safely.

We have constantly strengthened the implementation of the "Peaceful China Initiative" overseas and strived to ensure the safety of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions. The Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Foreign Ministry has provided round-the-clock assistance to overseas citizens. Consular protection will follow Chinese citizens wherever they go. Over the past decade, we have organized more than 10 emergency evacuations of our overseas citizens. In just a few days after the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, we have opened "life passages" and safely evacuated more than 5,200 Chinese citizens. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad have distributed "Spring Festival packages" and "health kits" to overseas compatriots in more than 170 countries and helped more than 4.6 million overseas Chinese citizens get vaccinated through the "Spring Seedlings Initiative." After receiving a letter for help from a Chinese student with disabilities, the Chinese Embassy in the United States immediately delivered "health kits" to him. The student was so moved that he shed tears and thanked his motherland in sign language.

We will shoulder serving the people as the abiding mission of Chinese diplomats and put it into practice, and make every effort to safeguard the security and legitimate rights and interests of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions. Thank you.

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