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Activity Category: Media Engagement Activity

Chinese Consulate in Kuching and Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily Launch Reading Initiative

On October 12, 2018, the Chinese Consulate General in Kuching launched the “Love Chinese Language” reading program with Sin Chew Daily (星洲日報). The initiative targeted 222 Chinese primary schools in Sarawak, featuring newspaper reading promotion, language competitions, and wall newspaper design contests. Chinese Consul General Cheng Guangzhong (程廣中) said he hoped the program would help children develop Chinese reading habits and that Malaysian Chinese were “upholding the fine tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education” and “inheriting and developing Chinese language education.” Malaysian Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching (張念群) stated the federal government would take a “more open and enlightened attitude” toward Chinese education. State official Sim Kui Hian (沈桂賢) expressed hope that Chinese universities would establish branch campuses in Sarawak. About 200 people attended the launch at Kuching Chinese Primary School No. 1. The program was reported by Xinhua News Agency as part of efforts to promote Chinese language education development in Malaysia.

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Summit 2018

The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and China’s state-run People’s Daily (人民日報) co-hosted the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation Media Summit (瀾滄江—湄公河合作媒體峰會) in Vientiane from July 1-3, 2018. The meeting was held under the theme “Cooperation in Lancang-Mekong Community for a Bright Future” and gathered senior officials and media representatives from six countries along the river system: Laos, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The summit focused on evaluating the implementation of a joint declaration signed in Beijing the previous year and strengthening cooperation in media, particularly in new media and tourism promotion. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation initiative, established in 2015 by China with the five Mekong countries, represents a multilateral framework for regional cooperation.

China Daily Runs Insert in Des Moines Register

A four-page China Daily supplement in the Sunday Des Moines Register in September 2018 sought to undermine Iowa farm support for President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, according to political experts. The Chinese government-backed English-language newspaper’s insert highlighted mutual U.S.-China trade benefits and President Xi Jinping’s three-decade Iowa relationship, aiming to pressure the Trump administration by showing potential Republican electoral costs. Political scientist David Skidmore said the effort targeted midterm elections, though he questioned its effectiveness compared to farmers’ economic concerns. Iowa farmers faced projected $2.2 billion losses from trade wars, with ripple effects across the state’s economy and tax revenues.

Cross-Strait Media Tour of Liaoning

On August 14, 2025, in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots (中華全國台灣同胞聯誼會), a “people’s organization” directly under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, launched its 2025 “Cross-Strait Media Personnel Liaoning Tour” with the Liaoning Provincial Federation of Taiwan Compatriots (遼寧省台灣同胞聯誼會) as host, bringing together over 20 media representatives from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong for a seven-day itinerary. According to Yang Yizhou (楊毅周), vice chairman of the federation, participants visited historical sites including the September 18 Historical Museum (九一八歷史博物館), commemorating Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, and the Memorial to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (抗美援朝紀念館), dedicated to China’s intervention in the Korean War in October 1950. According to state media sources, Taiwanese businesspeople in Liaoning were also interviewed during the tour, which leaders said conveyed “positive energy” in cross-strait exchanges — a reference to a phrase Xi Jinping has used to signal non-critical media coverage in line with CCP agendas. A full list of participants was not given in media reports on the tour, but coverage from Phoenix Satellite TV indicated that social media influencers from Taiwan were present on the tour. One supposed influencer mentioned prominently in related reports was Lee Tung-en (李東恩), who does not appear in Taiwanese news reports or other sources outside the PRC. Another participant, identified as “veteran Taiwanese broadcast journalist Fan Qiwei (樊奇為), likewise appears only in PRC news reports related to cross-straits ties — and in 2022 was mentioned in propaganda reports along with his wife as “Tianjin’s most beautiful family.”

All China Journalists Association Signs Agreement with the Association of Overseas Chinese media in Europe

The All-China Journalists Association (中華全國新聞工作者協會) signed a cooperation memorandum with the Association of Overseas Chinese Media in Europe (歐洲華文傳媒協會) on December 2, 2024, during a delegation visit to Austria. The agreement establishes frameworks for joint exchange visits, news interviews, external communication, news seminars, and cultural activities between the organizations. The memorandum also creates an overseas Chinese media “journalists’ home” to support Chinese media professionals in Europe. The All-China Journalists Association, a state-affiliated organization that operates under Chinese Communist Party leadership, has been criticized by press freedom advocates for its role in China’s media control system.  

CMG Signs Media Cooperation Agreement with Antara News Agency

On May 25, 2025, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) and Indonesia’s Antara News Agency (安塔拉通訊社) signed a cooperation memorandum during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s (李強) official visit to Indonesia. The agreement, witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Premier Li, was part of eight bilateral cooperation deals signed between the two governments. The memorandum establishes cooperation in content exchange, joint production, technical exchanges, and personnel exchanges between the Chinese state broadcaster and Indonesia’s national news agency. China Media Group, established in 2018, is under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. Antara News Agency, founded in 1937 by independence activists, operates as Indonesia’s national news agency with branches in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and other global locations.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Gives Interview to Singapore Media Outlets

On September 8, 2012, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying (傅瑩) gave an interview to Singapore’s The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao (聯合早報) during her official visit. Fu employed typical Chinese diplomatic rhetoric, emphasizing “mutual benefit,” “win-win cooperation,” and “peaceful development” while describing China-ASEAN relations as “extraordinary.” She positioned China as exercising “self-restraint” on South China Sea disputes while arguing other parties made “provocations.” She framed China’s military modernization as necessary for “peaceful development” rather than assertiveness. Fu characterized U.S. “rebalancing” to Asia with cautious language about its “largely military” focus. The messaging reflected standard Chinese diplomatic communication patterns, presenting China as a responsible regional power while subtly critiquing other actors through measured phrasing designed for international media consumption.

Xinhua and ATV Sign Media Cooperation Agreement

China’s Xinhua News Agency (新華社) and Hungary’s ATV Media Group signed a memorandum of understanding on May 2, 2024, in Budapest to strengthen cooperation across multiple levels, including news and information exchanges and personnel communications. Xinhua President Fu Hua (傅華) and ATV CEO Tamas Kovacs jointly signed the agreement during the 75th anniversary year of China-Hungary diplomatic relations, just days before President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Hungary. Fu stated that Xinhua was willing to work with ATV to consolidate “the bridge of friendship” of China-Hungary cultural exchanges and enhance cooperation in new media technologies. ATV, established in 1989 as Hungary’s first private television channel and currently owned by the Hungarian Faith Church, focuses on news and current affairs programming. According to Xinhua, the agreement builds on years of existing cooperation between the two organizations in translation, publishing, and marketing activities.

Xinhua Signs MoU with Mehr Media

Iranian Mehr Media Group and China’s Xinhua News Agency signed a memorandum of understanding on October 14, 2024, during the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, China. The agreement aims to expand media cooperation, strengthen information exchange, and develop collaboration in media technologies. Mehr Media Group, which includes Mehr News Agency and the English-language Tehran Times, also published the Farsi translation of Xinhua’s “Humanomics in the New Era” report during the summit. The three-day summit, themed “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation,” gathered over 500 participants from 106 countries and regions, including representatives from 208 mainstream media outlets. Xinhua’s president called for media organizations to embrace AI innovation while preserving human control, saying they should “proactively align with the technological wave” while ensuring “humans should have the final say in human-machine interaction.”