European Chinese Media Association Organizes 15th European Chinese Media Forum in Milan

On July 19, 2026, the Association of Overseas Chinese Media in Europe (歐洲華文傳媒協會), also known as the “Chinese Media Association in Europe,” organized a large-scale media exchange event in Milan, Italy, inviting 80 representatives from over 40 outlets across more than 20 European countries, according to People’s Daily Online, a web portal operated by the Chinese Communist Party’s official People’s Daily. The event, called the “European Chinese Media Forum” (第十五屆歐洲華文傳媒論壇), was hosted by the Italy-based Chinese-language newspaper European Chinese News (歐洲華人報). The forum was held under the theme “the integration and innovation of Chinese-language media in the AI era” (人工智能時代華文媒體的融合與創新). At the opening ceremony, Zhang Chenggang (張承剛), China’s consul general in Milan, delivered a speech describing Milan as a hub for China-Europe exchange, and emphasizing the role of media in shaping a friendly perception of China in Europe. Zhang also said Chinese-language outlets need to “adapt to trends in artificial intelligence and media convergence,” phrasing that echoes Xi Jinping’s 2019 call for AI-driven “media convergence.” Zhang Chunjiao (張春姣), vice chair of the All-China Journalists Association, the CCP-led journalistic body that serves to implement official media control policies, invited outlets to visit China and “tell China’s stories well, spread China’s good voice,” aiming to shape “a credible, lovable and respectable image of China,” echoing the CCP’s directives on how to spread positive and non-critical views on China. Zhang Lei (張雷), the editor-in-chief of the official China News Service, pledged at the event that CNS would support outlets with “content, technology and channels” to navigate news gathering and dissemination in the AI-era. He added that “a just cause is never without followers; walking together, one travels further,”  a line Xi has used repeatedly at summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to describe China-led multilateral cooperation.