Chongqing will host the 2024 Belt and Road Journalists Forum and media trips from Aug 26-31. Leaders from journalist organizations and media from 50 countries and regions, as well as over 80 Chinese media professionals, will participate.

The Belt and Road Journalists Network is an international platform for journalists to engage in exchanges and cooperation. The All-China Journalists Association initiated the network in partnership with journalist organizations from countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Journalists Forum is one of the network's flagship activities. It has been held annually since 2017; this is the first time the event will be held outside of Beijing.

From Aug 27 to 30, media delegates will visit major economic and cultural sites across the municipality, such as the Chongqing International Logistics Hub, the Seres Super Factory in Liangjiang New Area, and the Dazu Rock Carvings, to learn about the city's overall development.

Located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing boasts key geographic advantages as a strategic pivot point in the national development programs for China's western regions and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. It also is a connecting point for the BRI and the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Chongqing became China's fourth municipality in 1997 after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. As large as Austria and five times larger than Beijing, the city has witnessed rapid development and turned into a modern cosmopolitan area with advanced transportation systems, outstanding architecture and distinct local features.

Last year, Chongqing's GDP reached a record 3 trillion yuan ($423 billion), up 6.1 percent year-on-year.