STORY: Diplomats highlight Chongqing's development at local "two sessions"
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Jan. 24, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:13
LOCATION: CHONGQING, China
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Chongqing, China 
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FABIO SCHINA, Consul general of Italy in Chongqing
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANTHONY PRESTON, Consul general at the British Consulate-General in Chongqing
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): VAN VITHYEA, Consul general of Cambodia in Chongqing
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): SAKE NOPTHAISONG, Consul general of Thailand in Chengdu

STORYLINE:

Diplomats invited to Chongqing's "two sessions" were impressed by the city's achievements in recent years, and spoke highly of China's whole-process people's democracy.

Since the beginning of the year, China's provincial-level regions have been holding their "two sessions" meetings, where government work reports were delivered to outline the development priorities for 2025.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): FABIO SCHINA, Consul general of Italy in Chongqing
"I think that one of the main takeaways is that there is a strong commitment for the development. And this commitment can translate in several areas, where our consulate can find cooperation. For example, they wanted to increase also the concepts of consumption, the exports and imports. So all these areas are areas where the consulate can cooperate with the local authorities."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ANTHONY PRESTON, Consul general at the British Consulate-General in Chongqing
"For me, as a diplomat here working and living in Chongqing, it was really impressive to see how the local government aims to communicate and assess its performance over the last year. I think this attempt to assess one's own performance and to do better in the future is a key part of any political process that strives to create better lives for its people."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): VAN VITHYEA, Consul general of Cambodia in Chongqing
"The CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) has brought tremendous and significant progress in many areas such as economic growth, healthcare, educational systems and infrastructure and also sustainable development. I believe that these efforts have not only uplifted the community, but also gained the confidence and trust from the Chinese citizens. I think it's set an inspiring example for others to follow.
The other thing is about the engagement with the grassroots communities. The emphasis on this sustainable development has been particularly commendable."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): SAKE NOPTHAISONG, Consul general of Thailand in Chengdu
"I heard of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. I think that's a very practical and wise idea. So our consulate is trying to complement this by introducing the logistics linkages and also logistics hub, namely the ILSTC (New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor), and also the rail link between China, Laos and Thailand."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chongqing, China.
(XHTV)