For the occasion of its tenth anniversary, People's Daily Online hosted a reception on Thursday afternoon for its old and new friends at embassies in China. Press officers from more than 20 embassies gathered to celebrate the website's birthday with People's Daily Online staff.

The event was attended by Jiang Shaogao, deputy editor-in-chief of People's Daily, Peng Bo, deputy director of the Internet Bureau of the Information Office under the State Council and officials from the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Addressing the reception, Jiang said that People's Daily Online has, in the last ten years, evolved into one of the state's key news websites. The website enables China's friends from all over the world to read the latest news in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. Advances in Internet technology have made the world a smaller place and People's Daily Online has become an important information medium through which China learns about the world and the world learns about China.

Jiang Shaogao(C),Peng Bo(L2), He Jiazheng(R1) attend the reception.

Press officers visit the video studio of People's Daily Online

Scene of the reception

Peng Bo said that People's Daily Online is one of the highest-ranking news websites in China. Its decade-long history reflects the growth of China's Internet media. Over the last years, staff have worked to build People's Daily Online into a superior website that will dominate in the next decade. If you are interested in learning about Chinese people, said Peng to the assembled press officers, first learn about People's Daily Online; and, if you would like to make friends with Chinese people, first make friends with People's Daily Online.

People's Daily Online President He Jiazheng briefed the guests on the development of the website. During the last ten years, foreign friends from more than 100 countries and regions have visited People's Daily Online's offices more than 40,000 times in 5,000 groups. Approximately 50 senior officials and friendly personages have come to People's Daily Online and been embraced by our netizens, including former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, former EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, renowned Cuban volleyball player Mireya Luis, the "father of the euro" Robert A. Mundell and former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.

Since 2005, interactive interviews with foreign guests have been a regular occurrence and interviews with ambassadors to China have become a feature column. At the reception, He said that he hoped People's Daily Online would be able to strengthen ties with embassies in China, broaden mutual understanding and promote cooperation so that the world is able to learn about China and that more foreign friendships can be forged.

Russian press officer A. Isaev also gave an impromptu speech. He affirmed the achievements of People's Daily Online in the last ten years and expressed his hope of furthering friendly exchanges between the two organizations and the two peoples.

The event was part of an "open day" for the website, which is celebrating its tenth birthday.