H.E. Mme. Tong Xiaoling, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Brunei Darussalam, held at her Residence a Bruneian Media Gathering on 5^th March 2009. The attendees included over 20 officials, editors and journalists from the Information Department of the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam and Brunei's mainstream media such as the state-run Radio Televisyen Brunei, English-language newspapers---Borneo Bulletin and The Brunei Times, Chinese-language newspapers---United Daily News, Sinchew Daily News and Seehua Daily News, and Malay-language newspaper Media Permata, and also Brunei's first and only Chinese informative website www.e-huawang.com.

Ambassador Tong extended New Year greetings on behalf of the Chinese Embassy and expressed her gratitude to all the media friends for their cooperation and support to the Embassy during the past year. In delivering a keynote address, Ambassador Tong pointed out, curtains have been unveiled for the two Sessions of China's National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which review China's footprints last year and design China's development roadmap this year. And these two Sessions have been attracting many more eyeballs in the context of the global financial crisis which has not yet hit bottom.

Ambassador Tong said, the global financial crisis has gravely impacted China's real economy and coastal areas where the economy is more export-oriented and labour-intensive. A package of stimulus plans adopted by the Chinese Government has already taken effect. What is the most important against crisis, Ambassador Tong emphasized, is confidence, with which China and the world will be able to surmount the crisis.

Regarding 50 years of democratic reform in Tibet, Ambassador Tong, with reference to plenty of historical facts and statistical data, elaborated on the remarkable changes which took place in Tibet after the democratic reform since 1959, and reiterated the Chinese Government's position on Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Regarding the Taiwan issue, Ambassador Tong stressed the Mainland-based Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) resumed talks in Beijing after a 10-year suspension, and direct shipping, air transport and postal services across the Straits were formally launched. The circuitous relations across the Straits saw a U-turn in 2008. Ambassador Tong also hoped the Brunei media would carry on their objectivity and impartiality in reporting Tibet and Taiwan-related news.

With regard to China-Brunei relations, Ambassador Tong reviewed the fruitful and dynamic progress in the bilateral relations in 2008, which was highlighted by frequent exchange of high-level visits and contacts. Ambassador Tong expressed confidence that China and Brunei will see more high-level exchange of visits as well as more practical cooperation in economic, trade, military and cultural affairs.

Speaking highly of China's prominent achievements since the reform and opening-up and voicing their understanding and support of China's positions on the Tibet and Taiwan issues, the attendees from the Brunei media expressed their keen expectations of new progress in China-Brunei relations and their wishes to pay more visits to China, especially Tibet, so as to bridge the peoples of the two countries.