China Pushes Ahead with Media Diplomacy with Africa

China’s latest effort to advance its diplomatic influence across the media landscape on the African continent unfolded last week as some 400 representatives from 45 countries gathered in Beijing for the Seventh China-Africa Media Cooperation Forum (第七届中非媒体合作论坛). While topics discussed at the event included content innovation and AI integration in the broadcasting sector, the primary diplomatic role of the event was clear. Its stated goal, according to the official Beijing Daily newspaper, was to “create a favorable atmosphere ahead of the 2027 China-Africa Cooperation Forum.” 

Further emphasizing the foreign policy underpinnings of this ostensible media event, the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), alluded to one of Xi Jinping’s core political concepts as it said that China’s media cooperation on the continent was moving toward “an all-weather China-Africa community of shared future for the new era” (全天候中非命运共同体). 

Attendees at the event reportedly pledged cooperation in a number of areas, including joint broadcasting, micro-drama co-production and youth exchange. The primary outcome of the event, however, was what China called a “joint declaration” (第七届中非媒体合作论坛共同宣言). According to state media reports, the declaration, which was not made public, commits partners to “work together to present a true, multi-dimensional and comprehensive image of China-Africa development to the international community.” This was an unmistakable reference to a core tenet of the CCP’s global media view, which holds that the goal of international journalism development — in contrast to ensuring greater independence or professionalism —is to ensure that stories and larger narratives are favorable to China and the Global South.