STORY: How reform drives Chinese modernization: insights from foreign diplomats
SHOOTING TIME: Aug. 6, 2024
DATELINE: Aug. 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:10
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the forum
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): IAN J. MARSHALL, Ambassador of Grenada to China
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ,  Ambassador of El Salvador to China
5. STANDUP 4 (English): HONG YAN, Xinhua correspondent
6. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China
7. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): MIREIA VENANCIO ABELLA, Trade Officer, Embassy of Spain
8. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
9. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): IAN J. MARSHALL, Ambassador of Grenada to China
10. SOUNDBITE 9 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
11. SOUNDBITE 10 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ, Ambassador of El Salvador to China
12. SOUNDBITE 11 (English): FAZEEL NAJEEB, Ambassador of Maldives to China
13. SOUNDBITE 12 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ,  Ambassador of El Salvador to China
14. SOUNDBITE 13 (English): FAZEEL NAJEEB, Ambassador of Maldives to China
15. SOUNDBITE 14 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
16. SOUNDBITE 15 (English): INGA DORA PETURSDOTTIR, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Iceland
17. SOUNDBITE 16 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China

STORYLINE:

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China
"Ambition, future, friendship."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): IAN J. MARSHALL, Ambassador of Grenada to China
"Strategic. Beneficial. Futuristic."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ,  Ambassador of El Salvador to China
"Modernization for a shared future, the future of all mankind."

Beijing

STANDUP 4 (English): HONG YAN, Xinhua correspondent
"China's reform and modernization have long captured the world's attention. A key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last month adopted a resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. Today I've come to the Hong Ting Forum, a think tank event that focuses on understanding the reform-themed plenum."

The forum is also attended by dozens of diplomats from different countries. I'm curious about their perspectives on China's reforms and how these reforms are driving Chinese modernization.

1. What impresses you about China's reform in recent years?

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China
"This is my 5th year. I've been watching very well, the development, the progress and also the openness strategies in China. It's very encouraging and it's very promising."

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): MIREIA VENANCIO ABELLA, Trade Officer, Embassy of Spain in China
"I was here also in 2016. And since that year up until now, I have seen that China has further opened and reformed a lot of sectors, technology in different industrial sectors, renewable energies for the electric cars. I think China is doing a great job advancing in that direction."

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
"The reform process has been very systematically laid out, step by step, what is being planned and what the goals are."

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): IAN J. MARSHALL, Ambassador of Grenada to China
"The people-centered approach, I think, is what's most impressive about the reform, and also the determination of the government, and drive towards creating a better world, a better China, a more sustainable place."

2. How does reform drive China's modernization?

SOUNDBITE 9 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
"I think it (reform) is very fundamental to China's modernization. I think many of the speakers mentioned that reform and modernization go hand in hand, and one revitalizes the other and pushes the other forward."

SOUNDBITE 10 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ, Ambassador of El Salvador to China
"I am really amazed by their achievements and these are opening up and reform progress, and how the adjustments have been joined through all the time. This widening of the reform has touched the whole of the areas of the country, in terms of education, in terms of trade, in terms of commerce, in terms of culture, tourism. You name it. I think that the reform has been for the better of the society, the welfare of people."

SOUNDBITE 11 (English): FAZEEL NAJEEB, Ambassador of Maldives to China
"There's so much to talk about China's development. I think foremost technological advancement that China has achieved in the past decades. It is very, very impressive. China is now the world's leader in some of the aspects of technology. The other thing that strikes me is also the green initiatives that China is taking. And these are very impactful for the development of the world. I think that is commendable.

3. As China pursues modernization, what has it brought to the world?

SOUNDBITE 12 (English): ALDONOV F. ALVAREZ,  Ambassador of El Salvador to China
"I'm very, very surprised that China is like a model to the world, in terms of modernization, socialist modernization. This has no parallel in the world. China wants to share with the world, the benefit of the growth, the benefit of modernization and through means of cooperation."

SOUNDBITE 13 (English): FAZEEL NAJEEB, Ambassador of Maldives to China
"It's not only China developing itself. China is also extending a helping hand to other countries. So that kind of helping hand is really helpful."

SOUNDBITE 14 (English): PAULETTE ANNE BETHEL, Bahamas Ambassador to China
"China has done well in what it has done. Its development efforts have been very helpful to other countries who are trying to develop as well. And I think that's important for all of us going forward."

SOUNDBITE 15 (English): INGA DORA PETURSDOTTIR, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Iceland
"I have witnessed what China can bring to the Global South in terms of infrastructure and technology. That has been very impressive. I really hope that there will be a path of prosperous continuity for China, because the whole world will benefit from that."

SOUNDBITE 16 (English): HUSSAM AL HUSSEINI, Jordanian Ambassador to China
"The openness in China means more engagement and more roles and more cooperation and more coordination. I think this is going to be for the better world, for the better future."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)