CRI's Director General delivers 2018 New Year speech to overseas audiences

Wang Gengnian, director-General of China Radio International (CRI), extends his new year's greetings to overseas audiences via radio and the internet. [Photo: China Plus]

Wang Gengnian, Director General of China Radio International, delivers the 2018 New Year's speech to overseas audiences.

Director-General of China Radio International (CRI), Wang Gengnian, extends his new year's greetings to overseas audiences via radio and the internet. Wang Gengnian expresses the belief that CRI's future will be even more steady and forceful through audience support. He says CRI will provide its audience, both on the radio and online, with more timely and accurate information. Here's is his speech in full:

Dear friends:

As we say goodbye to 2017 and welcome in 2018, I want to extend cordial greetings and sincere wishes to all of you on behalf of China Radio International and the China International Broadcasting Network, and for me personally. We hope that good luck, happiness, peace and health will always be with you!

2017 has been of extraordinary significance to China. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was a paramount success, drawing a blueprint for the future development of China, highlighting China's wisdom for and contribution to global governance. As one of our dedicated fans Franka Gulin said, "The 19th CPC National Congress is not only a major event in China but also the focus of international attention. If China wrote its own dazzling history in the past five years, then China will create new glories in the future".

The past year also saw other major events, ranging from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech and put forward the proposal of building a "Community of Shared Future for Mankind," to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May, as well as the BRICS Summit in Xiamen in September. 2017 also saw high-level talks take place among the CPC and many of the world's leading political parties. In its advocacy for peace, development, mutual benefit and openness, China has displayed self-confidence, inclusiveness, and responsibility in times of change.

In today's era, the international landscape and balance of power have evolved profoundly. The building of a new international political and economic order has seen rapid development. The pursuit of peace, development and win-win cooperation has become an irresistible trend of the times. We firmly believe that communication and exchanges are the bridge that enhances understanding and deepens friendship. Over the past year, CRI focused on native-language and localized communication, communication convergence and communication cooperation, and has been making more solid strides toward becoming a new and comprehensive modern international media organization. While promoting our multimedia business that features audio-visual content, web, newspapers and periodicals, we've endeavored to create a "China" series of brands, leveraging multilingual mobile apps such as "China-Russia Headlines" and "China Plus Italy", as well as various social media accounts and giving priority to the use of new media in order to offer our audiences a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive perspective on China. We have created diversified, personalized and visual media convergence products through micro-video, HTML5, animation and illustrations in an effort to make our content, form and style more vivid, fresh, amiable, and more in line with the diverse needs of our friends. We have actively improved our overseas media cooperation, hoping to reach more international audiences so we can share news and other stories happening in China and around the world with you in a timely manner. We're striving to be your news source on the go. We have actively explored new paths for cultural exchanges with foreign countries, and opened new windows and channels for our friends to listen to Chinese narratives and experience a colorful China by co-producing the "Chinese Theater," as well as providing dubbed multilingual films and television shows.

Friends! No seeds can take root and accumulate the forces of growth without sunshine, rain and fertile soil. It is with your support that the pace at which we move forward is becoming more steady and forceful. In 2017, CRI's total audience reached 95 million. Our overseas multilingual social media accounts now total over 62 million followers. Our mobile app users now exceed 26 million. These numbers are unprecedented. We're heartened to know you're out there every time you click "like," post a comment or send us a letter. We appreciate all your comments and your support. On behalf of all my colleagues at CRI, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all our friends.

With a fresh start for the year ahead, we will provide our friends with better and more timely information services, build more platforms and create stronger content to help our friends throughout the world better understand China, and how China works with the rest of the world.

May our friendship last forever! Once again, Happy New Year to everyone! Thank you.