On December 20, the events of the 7th "My China Story" International Short Video Competition 2025 were held in Beijing. Yu Yingfu, Vice President of China International Communications Group (CICG); Yu Changxue, Director of the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange of the Ministry of Education; Huang Yihua, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Foreign Affairs Office (Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office) of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality; Xu Xinchao, Acting District Mayor of Haidian District, Beijing Municipality; Qi Huichao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Haidian District Committee and Head of the Publicity Department; Ma Guangyao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Haidian District Committee and Executive Deputy District Mayor; Malcolm Clarke, British director and Oscar laureate, among others, attended the events.

In his speech, Yu Yingfu stated that the competition, upholding its original aspiration of connecting China with the world and facilitating global communication, has become a widely influential showcase for China's image. In the face of new circumstances in China-foreign exchanges, the competition will continue to focus on Chinese stories as its theme and short videos as its medium, helping the international community understand a confident, progressive, open, and inclusive China.

Yu Yingfu emphasized that the competition will further decode China's development path, ensuring that Chinese modernization—the greatest practice of contemporary China—has breadth, depth, and warmth. It will encourage creators from diverse cultural backgrounds to tell stories of mutual learning among civilizations. By seizing the trend of digital and intelligent communication, the competition aims to continuously enhance the visibility of outstanding works on major international platforms. Additionally, it will foster a youth exchange community to inspire the collision of ideas and illuminate a better future. CICG will develop the brand of "My China Story" to a higher standard, allowing Chinese stories that resonate emotionally to reach the world and touch people's hearts.

In his speech, Yu Changxue stated that the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange of the Ministry of Education shoulders the important mission of promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, enhancing international understanding and trust, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In the future, the Center will continue to deepen its cooperation with the competition, expand its service platforms, and provide more comprehensive and efficient support and services for Chinese and foreign creators. It will encourage more Chinese and foreign students to participate in telling Chinese stories, vividly documenting China's development journey through the lens, and showcasing the unique charm of Chinese culture through creative excellence.

In his speech, Xu Xinchao stated that leveraging its highly competitive locational advantages, Haidian has become a charming, vibrant, and innovative region in China today, an ideal place for everyone to tell Chinese stories to the rest of the world. In recent years, Haidian has continuously expanded its "circle of international friends," deepened global collaboration of innovation, and improved the level of investment facilitation, forming development stories that are constantly told and constantly renewed, and becoming a vivid and highly representative microcosm of the Chinese story. We sincerely invite all friends to visit Haidian, walk around and take a look to gain a deeper and more genuine understanding of Beijing and China through the district.

Malcolm Clarke stated that in telling Chinese stories to the world, the key lies not in "what to tell" but in "how to tell it." People are not connected through systems and algorithms; the essence of international communication is to allow audience to see shared emotions and experiences in stories. Today, ways of communicating have shifted toward more lifestyle-oriented forms such as social media and short videos, and ordinary individuals now possess powerful communication potential. We should capture the authentic details full of human warmth in social development and present  more down-to-earth and genuine content. Only in this way can we achieve effective cross-cultural communication and enable the world to truly understand China.

American vlogger Evan Kail, who donated a photo album documenting Japanese war crimes during World War II in 2022, stated in his keynote presentation that in an era where misunderstandings spread faster than understanding and cultures are often constrained by stereotypes, we should promote cultural exchange, uphold historical honesty, and engage in dialogue based on respect rather than politics. Through education, media, and transnational cooperation, we can awaken people's awareness of humanity's interdependent relationships, enhance mutual understanding, and alleviate cultural misinterpretation.

Wang Xinling, General Manager of Xufang International Media of CICG, introduced the basic information of this year's competition, shared representative cases of "the other's narrative" in cultural communication across various countries, and discussed current communication trends on major international social media platforms. The competition received a total of 45,880 entries of various types, covering 128 countries and regions and 26 languages, from which 85 outstanding works were selected.

The event launched the "Co-Plan of Global Vloggers' Content Creation on China." This initiative is an extension of the "My China Story" brand, aiming to build a platform for international short video creators who are willing to deeply experience the warmth of China and explore the footprints of China's development, and to facilitate communication.

The event also featured supporting activities including a screening of selected works, two seminars separately on "Short Videos+City" and "Short Videos+Content Creators". Attendees engaged in practical sharing and in-depth exchanges around themes such as "Short Videos on Urban Culture: The Key to Breaking Boundaries and Going Global" and "Rising New Voice: The Change and Growth of Global Content Creators." Global content creators also visited the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center, the Light Science and Technology Museum, and other locations for research and firsthand experience, gaining deeper understanding of technological innovation practices.

This year's competition was hosted by CICG, co-organized by the People's Government of Haidian District, Beijing Municipality, and organized by Xufang International Media of CICG (New Media Center of CICG) and the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Haidian District, Beijing Municipality. Supporting organizations included the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange of the Ministry of Education, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture at Beijing Normal University. Attendees included representatives from the CPC Haidian District Committee and the district government, relevant provincial (autonomous region, municipal) government departments, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, content creators, enterprise representatives, media, and other guests.

The competition continuously invites global content creators to submit China-themed short video works in multiple languages and formats. Through seven years of innovative development, it has evolved into a comprehensive new media international communication brand that integrates foreign language short video creation, annual competitions, thematic contests, screening of videos, creative sharing sessions, thematic field trips, and more.

(Content and photos provided by: Xufang International Media of China International Communications Group)