BEIJING, Jan. 20, 2012 -- The Chinese government values interaction with international media and will continue improving its services for foreign reporters in China, said Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun when addressing foreign correspondents in Beijing on Thursday.

Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun chats with a foreign correspondent at the Foreign Ministry's Spring Festival banquet for foreign journalists in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo/China Daily]
 
"Foreign reporters in China play an important role in promoting China's communication with the world, especially when the international community is paying more and more attention to China's development," Zhang said at the Foreign Ministry's Spring Festival banquet for foreign reporters.

With mutual respect and honest communication, the Chinese government and international media can work together to present a comprehensive and improving image of China to the world, he said.

Around 400 people, including Foreign Ministry spokespersons, foreign reporters, and officials from embassies in Beijing, participated in the banquet and enjoyed traditional Chinese cultural performances.

More than 700 foreign reporters from 421 media organizations from 58 countries are now working in China, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The ministry has upgraded its publicity work to meet the increasing need of reporters at home and abroad through establishing a Weibo micro blog, the Lanting Forum (named after the Blue Hall in the Foreign Ministry compound) and daily news briefings, said Qin Gang, director-general of the Information Department of the ministry.

A reporter from Radio France International said that the ministry's information service has made progress since he started working in China four years ago.