The inter-ministerial meeting on safety protection of Chinese citizens and institutions abroad was held in Fuzhou, Fujian province from May 26 to 27, 2011. Secretary-General of the inter-ministerial meeting and Vice Foreign Minister Song Tao chaired the meeting and made remarks. Vice Governor of Fujian province Hong Jiexu addressed the meeting. More than 100 participants, including officials of central government agencies and local governments as well as representatives of state-owned and private enterprises were present.

The participants carefully studied the instructions made by leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council on strengthening safety protection of Chinese citizens and institutions abroad, reviewed the major security protection activities in recent years, especially the experience and learning of the massive evacuation of Chinese from Libya not long ago, deeply analyzed the significance of protecting the safety of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions and the current and future situation and studied the priorities in the near future.

Addressing the meeting, Song pointed out that the “four-in-one” overseas security protection joint working mechanism integrating the central government, local governments, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad and enterprises has been formed since the establishment of the inter-ministerial meeting mechanism in 2004. The implementation of the overseas risks regular assessment system has enabled breakthroughs of safety protection of Chinese citizens and institutions abroad. To protect their safety is an important measure of maintaining the interest of the nation and the people and practicing the philosophy of “putting people in the first and governing for the people”. We should attach great importance to protecting the safety of overseas Chinese citizens and institutions because it is of great importance to safeguarding the critical strategic opportunities for China’s development, protecting the interest of the Chinese people, consolidating the ruling foundation of the CPC and maintaining harmony and stability in the Chinese society.

He stressed that all agencies concerned, faced with both opportunities and challenges, should continue to step up collaboration, make continuous exploration and innovation and improve the “four-in-one” overseas safety protection joint working mechanism. We should strengthen the forward-looking nature of safety protection and combine prevention and emergency management closely. Education and training, supervision, inspection and services must be reinforced to improve the capacity and effectiveness of protection.

Delegates of the State Council Emergency Management Office, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Civil Aviation Administration of China as well as a number of foreign affairs offices of local governments and enterprises all indicated in their remarks that they will keep communications and coordination to jointly protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions abroad.