China and Kyrgyzstan Hold 2026 Media Cooperation Forum in Bishkek

On May 27, 2026, the People’s Daily (人民日報), the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, and Kyrgyzstan’s Kyrgyz Tuusu Publishing House co-hosted the 2026 China-Kyrgyzstan Media Cooperation Forum in Bishkek, with Global Times also involved in organizing the event. According to Global Times, roughly 100 officials, media figures, and business representatives from both countries attended. People’s Daily deputy editor-in-chief Cui Shixin (崔士鑫) linked the forum to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Eurasian security and economic bloc founded in 2001, ahead of its July 2026 session. He outlined four priorities for bilateral media work: building trust in each other’s reporting, advancing cooperation to “pave the way for prosperity,” deepening cultural exchange, and strengthening institutions to “amplify the voice of the SCO.” Cui’s language echoed Xi Jinping’s 2015 instruction that People’s Daily‘s overseas edition should become a “bridge” that builds trust. Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy, Salkyn Sarnogoeva, said journalists have become bridges between the two countries and their populations, echoing China’s narrative of media as a bridge between civilizations. Kyrgyz Tuusu Publishing House head Galina Baitekerek named journalist exchanges, joint media initiatives, digital-platform development, and support for young reporters as cooperation priorities. Slovo Kyrgyzstana editor-in-chief Elena Zholobova called the forum a “high-quality exchange platform” and said Chinese and Kyrgyz outlets could jointly produce content that “caters to the interests of readers in both countries.” At the event, People’s Daily signed a memorandum of understanding with Kyrgyz Tuusu Publishing House, and Global Times signed a cooperation agreement with Slovo Kyrgyzstana.