Media professionals are being encouraged to better tell China's stories to the world through more extensive and in-depth interviews and reports, in a year that will see the country witness a major political event.

Historical achievements of the past decade, the unity and fighting spirit of the Chinese nation, and splendid stories across the country are all good topics for coverage, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said on Thursday.

He called for journalists to look deep into the lives of people to search for vivid stories, and reveal the great thoughts behind the revolutionary changes that have occurred in the new era.

He made the remarks at a ceremony to mark the beginning of the media coverage campaign for the 20th National Congress of the CPC, a key meeting to be held in the second half of this year.

The ceremony was held at the Museum of the Communist Party of China, a landmark in northern Beijing.

Parallel sessions were held in four other places via video links: the Main Media Center of the Beijing Winter Olympics; Shanghai's Yangshan Port, one of the world's busiest ports and a window of China's opening-up; Huangheqing National Wetland Park in Qinghai province, a project that has helped improve the environment along the Yellow River; and the town of Minning in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where poverty alleviation programs have greatly improved local people's lives.

During the ceremony, representatives from various walks of life and media organizations also shared their stories and thoughts.

"I and my colleagues will try our best to go to the grassroots to find and record the great endeavors and achievements of the Chinese people in this new era," said Zhu Huirong, a reporter with China Media Group.

Xu Meijia, who is in charge of a workshop that processes agricultural products in Ningxia, recounted how local women had been lifted out of poverty through e-commerce livestreaming.