The 2026 Discover China Cultural Tour program for foreign diplomats in China was launched at the Shunyi Grand Theater in Beijing on Friday.

Gao Zheng, China's vice-minister of culture and tourism, attended the event alongside 12 ambassadors and charges d'affaires, as well as diplomats from 40 countries.

As part of the launch, guests viewed the "Flourishing Gateway, Colorful Shunyi" exhibit while also getting an overview of the Discover China initiative's development in the past five years and the plans for 2026.

This year, foreign diplomats will visit regions including Beijing, Chongqing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Hubei and Shaanxi, where they will have a chance to learn about China's integrated cultural and tourism development, as well as the progress of Chinese modernization.

Hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the program has, since its inception in 2021, engaged with more than 500 diplomats from 107 countries. By the end of this year, 24 provincial-level regions across China are expected to have been included in the program.