China brought its urban governance experience to an international audience with two special screenings of the documentary "Hotline Beijing" held in Russia's St. Petersburg and Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.​

Organized by China Media Group’s (CMG) Film and TV Translation & Production Center, the St. Petersburg screening took place on November 18 (local time), with over 30 representatives from political, academic and cultural circles in attendance. On November 21, the Addis Ababa session – co-hosted by CMG’s African Headquarters and the Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University – drew around 150 guests, including officials, media professionals, staff and students.​

Directed by CMG’s China News Service Film and Television Group, "Hotline Beijing" explores the city's 12345 public service hotline, a channel for residents to raise requests or voice complaints, through seven real-world stories. It presents Beijing’s efforts in "addressing complaints upon receipt" from multiple governance perspectives, offering a Chinese model for people-centered, mega-city management.​

Guests hailed the documentary for its timely theme and insightful narrative. St. Petersburg officials said the hotline mechanism was problem-solving in practice and a window into Chinese wisdom. Ethiopian attendees, including university president Samuel Kifle, said the film's content had global resonance in a backdrop of rapid urbanization, stating it serves as a case study for integrating theory with practice. Audience members were left impressed by the Chinese model's people-centered approach, noting that no public concern is too small and each receives the same high-level government attention.​

Sun Mingxi, charge d’affaires of China’s Embassy in Ethiopia, and Liu Xinyu, consul at China’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg, both stressed the documentary contributes to a wider sharing of experience and a deepening of mutual understanding. Amid global governance challenges, the film conveys the humanistic temperature of Chinese modernization, they said.​

Having premiered in China in February 2025, "Hotline Beijing" has won multiple awards, including the Golden Panda Award for International Communication of Chinese Stories and the China Film Golden Rooster Award for Best Documentary. The Ethiopian screening was covered by major local media such as Ethiopian National Television, expanding its regional influence.