Would you please tell me how the spokespersons of the governments at various levels are selected? What do the training courses cover? It's said that experienced journalists and former government spokespersons of some other countries are also among the trainers.

At the state level, the spokespersons are selected by respective ministries and commissions, who are usually the heads of a comprehensive department, such as the general office, the department of regulations and policies, and research centers. At the provincial and municipal level, spokespersons are usually secretary-generals or vice secretary-generals. As for some special departments, the spokespersons are the heads or head assistants. Whatever government posts they possess, as spokespersons, they must be very familiar with and have a deep understanding about the work and policies of their own departments and hold a sufficient amount of information.

Our training system is an open one. The trainers include leaders from relevant areas and also experts or professors in media studies. It's true that foreign journalists, including a number from CNN and former spokespersons from the United States and some other countries have been invited to exchange ideas with our trainees, so as to broaden their mind.

So far, the Information Office has trained nearly 5,000 spokespersons at various levels, providing training to all the spokespersons from the ministries and commissions under the State Council and to the majority from the local governments. Present training is still at the initial stage, which is to be followed by advanced training soon.

As a minister or as a spokesman, what kind of questions do you like to answer in a press conference: a normal question or challenging question?

I prefer challenging questions, as they are always related to issues that the public is most concerned with and wants answers. When I have given answers to these questions, they will spread among the public, and good answers will bring good effects.

I once said that in the past it was because the development in China was not made known to the world in a proper way, that there exists today misunderstanding of one kind or another in the rest of the world. Many of our officials have lived in a relatively closed environment for too long to communicate with the media, especially with foreign media. Faced with the rapid globalization and the expanding overall opening-up of China, we must learn to communicate well with the media as soon as possible and carry out information exchange with them. When I was vice minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, I used to meet the media quite often and know the importance of "mutual respect and sincerity."

As director of the Information Office of the State Council, my job is to communicate with the media from both home and abroad and to serve journalists from all over the world, especially to help people in other countries get to know the reality of China.