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Activity Category: Media Engagement Activity

China Signs Media Cooperation Deals with Ukraine

From February 8-17, 2017, Tian Jin (田進), Deputy Director of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (國家新聞出版廣電總局), led a Chinese broadcasting delegation to Ukraine, the UK, and Romania to strengthen bilateral media cooperation. The delegation signed a cooperation memorandum with Ukraine’s National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting and a letter of intent with Ukraine’s National Broadcasting and Television Committee. The visit resulted in nine specific agreements covering joint productions, journalist exchanges, program broadcasting, content support, training, technical cooperation, and establishing permanent contact mechanisms. The delegation also donated Chinese films and TV programs to Ukrainian and Romanian broadcasters, and witnessed the strategic cooperation agreement between Zhejiang Huace Film & TV Group and Britain’s ITV.

Chinese Media Group Signs Deal with Spanish Broadcaster

On July 27, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台), or CMG, and Spain’s Mediapro Group (梅迪播集團) signed a cooperation memorandum in Barcelona covering media resource sharing, audiovisual program production, and innovative technology applications. CMG Director Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), who also serves as deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party, and Mediapro Chairman Tatxo Benet signed the document. The agreement was positioned alongside the Paris Olympics, where CMG had secured production responsibilities for four sports and was described as “the main broadcasting agency” by Chinese state media. Mediapro, established in 1994 and headquartered in Barcelona, operates across five continents with specialties in sports broadcasting, television, and film production. The Barcelona-based company was described as having “unique advantages” in artificial intelligence and virtual reality technology and as “one of Europe’s most influential media groups” in the CCTV report.

Xinhua Donates News Production Equipment to Lao Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Xinhua News Agency (新華通訊社) and the Lao Chinese Chamber of Commerce (老撾中華總商會) held a media equipment donation ceremony at the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism on October 10, 2024. According to the original Chinese source, officials stated the donation was part of implementing outcomes from the second “Belt and Road Laos-China Cooperation Forum” (一帶一路老中合作論壇), which was held in December 2023. Xinhua Asia-Pacific Deputy Director Zhang Chongfang (張崇防) and Laos’ Deputy Minister of Information Phosy Chommaly attended the October ceremony. The deputy minister said the equipment would be “properly allocated” and noted that some equipment had already been deployed to support ASEAN summit coverage, claiming it would “promote media exchanges and cooperation” between the two countries. The forum framework was jointly organized by Laos’ Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Xinhua News Agency, and the Lao Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

China Media Group and Myanmar Radio and Television Unveil Documentary Series “China Walk”

On December 7, 2024, the state-owned China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) unveiled its new series China Walk (漫步中國). A co-production between CMG and the official Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV), the show is scheduled to air on Myanmar’s major TV networks. People’s Daily reported that the program would provide “people of both countries to learn about the cultures and customs and have a better understanding of each other” by taking viewers to tea villages in Yunnan. The series explicitly promotes the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xi Jinping’s signature infrastructure development strategy. CMG was established in 2018 as China’s predominant state broadcaster under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, while MRTV serves as Myanmar’s state-run television and radio network under the Ministry of Information.

CCTV and Laos Ministry of Communication Celebrate Airing of TV Program in Laos

On November 21, 2023, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) held an event with Laos’s Ministry of Technology and Communications to celebrate the launch of its multimedia cultural program “Chinese Style” (中國風) in Luang Prabang, the UNESCO World Heritage city in northern Laos. Hu Jinjun (胡勁軍), deputy director of China Media Group, and a deputy governor of Luang Prabang Province attended the ceremony and delivered speeches. China Media Group, which encompasses China Central Television (CCTV), was established in 2018 under the direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. During the event, Hu emphasized that the program would serve as “a window for Laotian friends to understand China,” according to the Chinese consulate. The Lao-language program airs daily during prime morning hours on Luang Prabang Radio and is simultaneously distributed through local websites and social media platforms, marking an expansion of Chinese state media’s presence in Southeast Asia.

Argentina Chinese Network Joins PRC-led Media Union

The Argentina Chinese Network (阿根廷華人網), founded by Liu Fangyong (劉芳勇) and others in 2011, received a membership certificate from the Global Chinese Media Cooperation Union (世界華文媒體合作聯盟) in October 2023 during the 11th World Chinese Media Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan, officially becoming an institutional member with certificate number MSA010. The Global Chinese Media Cooperation Union is operated by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department (UFWD) through China News Service (CNS), one of the country’s two official wire services. China News Service became part of the United Front Work Department in 2018 when the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office was absorbed into the UFWD, as documented by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Agence Kampuchea Presse and Xinhua Renew News Exchange Cooperation

On June 2, 2024, Cambodia’s Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP) and China’s Xinhua News Agency (新華社) agreed to deepen their existing cooperation, with Xinhua pledging technical assistance to build AKP’s capacity. The bilateral meeting between AKP Director General Sokmom Nimul and visiting Xinhua Editor-in-Chief Lyu Yansong (吕岩松) emphasized the importance of strengthening media cooperation between the two countries. During the discussions, the AKP director general sought Xinhua’s assistance in building AKP’s capacity through experience sharing and a training programme, describing Xinhua’s support as “a model of good friendship between Cambodia and China,” according to the Khmer Times. In response, Lyu Yansong stated his agency wanted to “expand cooperation between Xinhua and AKP to practical news cooperation to build trust between the Chinese and Cambodian people,” as reported by the publication. This commitment follows the renewal of their Agreement on News Exchange Cooperation in February 2023, reflecting the broader strengthening of Cambodia-China relations across multiple sectors.

China Newsweek Cooperation Agreement with Cina in Italia

In 2011, the bilingual magazine Cina in Italia (世界中国), based in Rome, was accredited by China News Service as a foreign edition of China Newsweek (中国新闻周刊). Founded in 2001 by Chinese journalist Hu Lanbo (胡蘭波), Cina in Italia initially served Chinese communities in Italy before becoming bilingual in 2007 to bridge Chinese and Italian cultures. China News Service (CNS), which publishes China Newsweek, became part of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) in 2018 when its former host organization, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, was absorbed into the UFWD. The UFWD coordinates China’s overseas influence operations, particularly targeting Chinese diaspora communities. CNS operates under the United Front Work Department and has editorial guidelines “designed to facilitate the production of propaganda that is tailored to the interests of Chinese individuals who are not residing in mainland China.”

CMG Promotes Xi Jinping Quotes in Portuguese

On November 20, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) launched a Portuguese version of “Quotable Quotes by Xi” Season 3 in Brasília during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brazil. The show, which features Chinese poetry and sayings quoted in Xi’s speeches, claims to present his “political wisdom” (政治智慧) and “cultural sentiment” while promoting concepts like “community of shared future for mankind” (人類命運共同體). Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who also serves as Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, attended the launch, where Deputy Director of the Central Propaganda Department and CMG President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) said the program would help Brazilians “understand President Xi’s governance philosophy” (習近平主席的治國理政思想). Brazilian officials, including Communications Secretary Paulo Pimenta and Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, praised the series, with the National Media Company pledging to cooperate with CMG in “promoting mutual understanding.” The program was set to air on major Brazilian networks and appear on outdoor screens across Brasília.