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Activity Category: Media Engagement Activity

Iran’s State News Agency Launches Chinese-Language Website

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On August 26, 2019, Iran’s state news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), launched a Chinese-language website at a ceremony in Tehran. According to CRI Online (國際在線), IRNA Director General Seyed Zia Hashemi and Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua (常華) jointly activated the site, with Hashemi calling the launch a “historic turning point” for bilateral media cooperation. The launch was consistent with a broader pattern: Chang made routine visits to IRNA and used the agency to amplify Chinese perspectives. The event came three years after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s January 2016 visit to Tehran, during which the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Chinese Consul General Meets with IRNA

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On June 3, 2025, Xu Wei (徐煒), China’s consul general in Bandar Abbas, met with a representative of the bureau of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in Hormozgan Province. In his meeting with IRNA, Iran’s official state news agency, Xu discussed opportunities for media cooperation, saying that China values media exchanges with Iran and is willing to deepen cooperation with IRNA and other outlets to foster “mutual understanding and friendship” (互了解与友谊), terms typically used by the Chinese leadership to signal engagement while adhering to China’s values and framing. Reflecting the typical way China emphasizes the duty to healthy bilateral relations — rather than journalistic values or news consumer-focused demand — in its media-related dealings, The IRNA representative expressed support for joint efforts to promote China-Iran ties. 

Chinese Ambassador Publishes Article in the Nordic Times

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On June 19, 2025, Cui Aimin (崔愛民), China’s ambassador to Sweden, published a signed article titled “Strengthening the Dialogue Among Civilizations, Creating a Better Future Together” in the Swedish media outlet The Nordic Times. In the article, Cui noted recent celebrations for the International Day for the Dialogue Among Civilizations, a UN initiative jointly proposed by China, with eventual support by more than 80 countries. The notion of civilizational exchange is a political concept dating back in its contemporary CCP sense (“Xivilization”) to the 20th National Congress in 2022, when Xi Jinping and the top leadership used it to trumpet the supposed success of the CCP-led development model and argue that China has created “a new form of human civilization” (人類文明新型態). Cui called on China and Sweden to uphold the spirit of civilizational exchange and to move forward together toward the vision of building a “community with a shared future for mankind,” as proposed by Xi Jinping.

China and Iran Host Film Cooperation Seminar

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On December 2, 2021, the Embassy of China in Iran and Iran’s Art Research Institute co-hosted a seminar in Tehran to mark the 50th anniversary of China–Iran diplomatic relations, focusing on film cooperation. Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua (常華) said that the memorandum of understanding the two countries signed the same year on film exchanges had laid a solid foundation for bilateral collaboration. Iranian participants included director Majid Majidi and representatives from Iran’s film sector. According to the same report, speakers pointed to the festival screenings in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as the presence of Chinese films at Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival, as signs of strengthening connections within the film industry.

China Today Turkey Edition Launches

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On November 16, 2010, the Turkish edition of China Today magazine was officially launched in Ankara. According to the publisher, Turkey’s Dijitek Grup, approximately 70 percent of the Turkish edition’s content would be sourced from three Chinese state media outlets — Beijing Review (北京週報), China Today (今日中國), and China Pictorial (人民畫報) — while Turkish journalists and analysts would produce the remaining 30 percent. The stated aim was to provide Turkish business readers with information about China’s economy and investment opportunities.  According to a report of the Turkish communication magazine MediaCat, China Today was initially published through a partnership (possibly a printing deal) between Dijitek Grup, a Turkish company, and China International Publishing Group (中國外文局) — a state-owned publishing group operating under the Central Propaganda Department. Chinese officials described the edition as the sixth international print version of the longstanding external propaganda outlet, and claimed it was “the only magazine introducing China in Turkish.” By 2012, Turkuvaz Media Group — a pro-government conglomerate with close ties to President Erdoğan’s administration — had assumed publishing responsibilities. Zhou Mingwei (周明偉), then director of China International Publishing Group, led the delegation and met with Turkish ministers Nihat Ergün and Ertuğrul Günay.

Chinese Consul Visits Iranian Media Outlets

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On October 25 and 26, 2025, Xu Wei (徐煒), China’s consul general in Bandar Abbas, visited the offices of two southern Iranian newspapers, Darya and Sobhe Sahel, and met with their directors. Xu introduced the outcomes of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, a key party meeting at which the senior leadership sets national policy priorities. Xu said the media is “an important channel for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship” between citizens of the two countries, though no specific details of any media cooperation agreements were provided during the session. The visits reflect broader Chinese efforts to cultivate regional media ties under the China–Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, formalized in a 25-year cooperation agreement in March 2021.

London Tech Week Partners with Nouvelles d’Europe

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In August 2025, London Tech Week announced a partnership with Nouvelles d’Europe (歐洲時報), designating the Chinese-language newspaper, which is linked to China’s United Front Work Department, as the sole Chinese-language media partner for its 2026 edition. According to Nouvelles d’Europe, the arrangement aims to facilitate exchanges between Chinese enterprises, entrepreneurs, and investors with UK and global markets, and will provide bilingual Chinese-English content alongside dedicated national exhibition spaces for Chinese enterprises at the event. The 2026 edition is also set to launch what the outlet describes as an “Asia-Europe Innovation Corridor” centered on China, to promote cooperation among enterprises, investors, and policymakers.

Chinese Vocational Workshop Launched in Ethiopia

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On February 5, 2026, Hunan Biological and Electromechanical Polytechnic College (湖南生物機電職業技術學院) signed a cooperation agreement with Gofa Industrial College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, establishing a “‘Chinese + Vocational Skills’ Yadis Workshop,” according to an announcement on the Chinese institution’s website. The partnership was explicitly framed as “actively responding to the Belt and Road Initiative” and advancing China’s vocational education model abroad. The Chinese representative emphasized “sharing China’s advanced experience” in agricultural technology and vocational methods. The agreement includes teacher exchanges and curriculum development aligned with Chinese technical standards, positioning such partnerships as development solutions for African countries and reflecting broader Chinese public diplomacy efforts to promote its development model in the region.

China and Spain Launch Anniversary Series

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On March 30, 2023, China Media Group and Spain’s Ministry of Culture launched “China-Spain Cultural Journey” (中西文化之旅), a series of programs marking the 50th anniversary of China-Spain diplomatic relations. According to Wen Wei Po, the programs will be broadcast through CGTN and Spanish partners, including TVE, Telemadrid, Televisión de Extremadura, Canal Sur, and Britel Media Group. The initiative includes the documentary “From Beijing to Madrid,” which profiles individuals across politics, economics, sports, and arts to illustrate bilateral cooperation. Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), president of China Media Group; Spain’s minister of culture and sports, Miquel Iceta; China’s ambassador to Spain, Wu Haitao (吳海濤); and Spanish Ambassador to China Rafael Dezcallar, delivered video messages during the launch. Chinese official messaging focused on the Belt and Road Initiative and emphasized “mutual learning among civilizations” (文明互鑒), employing a more recent addition to the CCP lexicon.