BEIJING, April 16 (INP): The Communist Party of China has led Chinese people to win the poverty alleviation battle in the past 30 years, which deserves global praise, said an official of the Communist Party of Britain (CPB).

John Foster, International Secretary of the CPB, said via video link at the "Stories of CPC – Zhejiang's Achievements in Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" thematic briefing that he was amazed by China's technological achievements in recent years, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence and aeronautics.

Co-hosted by the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, the thematic briefing, held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Wednesday, was themed on "Drawing up and Following through the Blueprint".

"Over the last two decades, the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee has been following through on the Double-Eight Strategy initiated by President Xi Jinping in 2003 when he was Party Secretary of Zhejiang, and has created a better life for all," said Song Tao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, who added that Zhejiang's achievements vividly epitomize of how the CPC is following the blueprint.

The Double-Eight Strategy identifies eight strengths Zhejiang possesses in terms of economic structure, geological position, industries, coordinated development of urban and rural areas, ecology, mountain and ocean resources, environment, and culture, as well as eight measures the province is taking to take further advantage of these strengths.

Echoing Song, Yuan Jiajun, the incumbent Party Secretary of Zhejiang, highlighted the province's achievements in digitalization, environmental protection and coordinated regional development in recent years and expressed hopes that all the guests from home and abroad will be able to come to Zhejiang to feel its development and charm.

Nearly 400 representatives of political parties from more than 70 countries were present at the event online.

Some participants visited Hangzhou-based automaker Geely Holding Group and New H3C Group, an information technology solution provider.

Carlos Miguel Pereira Hernandez, Cuba's ambassador to China, said that he was astonished at Geely's breakthrough in the automobile making industry.

"I visited Geely's factory in Shanghai in 2008. In just over a decade, it has become an influential automaker brand in the world, which is a good indicator of the speed and quality of China's development in recent years," he said.

In the context of major changes unseen in a century, coupled with a once-in-a-century pandemic, the "Stories of CPC" thematic briefing on Zhejiang will be conducive to exchanging experience in country governance among participating political parties, and will promote economic recovery after the pandemic and further world peace and development.

INP/javed