More than 80 foreigners in Beijing participated in Monday's press conference on the city's economic and social development planning for the next five years as ordinary citizens. This is the first function Beijing Foreign Affairs Office hosted for foreigners in the new year.

Those foreigners of different skin colors were from more than 40 countries, including foreign experts, scholars, correspondents, students, officials of foreign embassies and representatives from commerce chambers.

An official with Beijing Foreign Affairs Office said that these foreign friends are residents of Beijing and therefore pay close attention to every move concerning its future development.

The press conference on Monday aimed to answer their questions on the city's Outline of National Economy and Social Development for the 11th Five-Year.

As soon as the press conference was opened, foreigners and correspondents from Hong Kong and Macau almost fell over each other to raise questions to government officials on the spot.

Most questions were on protection of the historical and cultural city, relief of traffic jams, development of new rural areas, and construction of a resource-saving society.

Many foreigners at the press conference were approbatory about such a channel of communication.

(China News Service January 25, 2006)