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Activity Type: Media Cooperation Agreement

Chinese Commercial News Signs Content Deal with Wen Wei Po

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On October 8, 2003, the Chinese Commercial News (菲律賓商報), a Chinese-language newspaper in the Philippines with close ties to PRC media and official entities, signed a cooperation agreement with Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po (文匯報), a newspaper operated by the Chinese government in the SAR, to publish a Philippines edition featuring content provided by the Hong Kong outlet. According to Wen Wei Po, the arrangement delivered “fresh content and lively page layouts” that were “widely praised,” with the newspaper’s “influence steadily rising” in the Philippine market. Wen Wei Po added that the deal positioned it to expand its reach across Southeast Asia through local Chinese-language media outlets. By 2008, Wen Wei Po reported that its overseas editions, including the Philippines version, had achieved a combined circulation exceeding 400,000 copies across more than a dozen international markets.

Fairfax Media Signs Deal with China Daily

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China Daily (中国日报) and Fairfax Media signed a content distribution agreement in May 2016 to launch “China Watch” in Australia, marking China Daily’s entry into the Australian market. The agreement, announced at a ceremony attended by Liu Qibao (刘奇葆), head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, established monthly publication of an eight-page English-language “China Watch” supplement in Fairfax Media’s Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Financial Review newspapers. China Daily editor-in-chief Zhou Shuchun (周树春) described the partnership as extending China Daily’s influence across Oceania through Fairfax’s network of newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. “China Watch,” a multilingual China Daily publication reaching over 50 million readers globally, was already distributed with major newspapers including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, and others across multiple countries. Announcing the deal, China Daily quoted Tim Dwyer, an associate professor at the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, as saying: “The inclusion of China Watch publication is a really welcome development in the Australian media landscape. It introduces news diversity to Australian media audiences.” Published by China’s propaganda department (State Council information Office), China Daily is explicitly described in Party documents as a vehicle for “external propaganda” and “telling China’s story well.”

RTHK Signs Cooperation Deal With Guangzhou TV

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On June 13, 2025, Hong Kong Director of Broadcasting Kwan Yuen-yee (關婉儀) and the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network (廣州廣播電視台), or GZBN, signed a memorandum of cooperation to deepen regional media integration. The partnership includes joint productions commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II (抗戰勝利80周年) — a core propaganda theme for China in 2025 — and the first-ever co-produced radio drama focusing on life in the Greater Bay Area (粵港澳大灣區), or “GBA”—the development region that is a key point of plans by China’s CCP leadership for greater integration between Hong Kong and the mainland. Kwan stated that RTHK will leverage its role in “linking the interior and connecting the exterior” (內聯外通) to foster a stronger sense of national identity (國民身份認同) among Hong Kong citizens, an idea closely associated with indoctrination in China’s CCP-led political system, including the study of “Xi Jinping Thought.”

China’s NDA and Chongqing Government Sign Deal with Singapore Media Development Authority

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China’s National Data Administration (国家数据局), the Chongqing Municipal Government (重庆市人民政府) and Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (资讯通信媒体发展局) signed a memorandum of understanding on December 15, 2025, to jointly build a digital Land and Sea Corridor (数字陆海新通道), deepening cooperation under the China-Singapore Strategic Connectivity Initiative. The agreement establishes collaboration in three key areas: digital connectivity and cross-border data flows within agreed regulatory frameworks; joint research and application of artificial intelligence, blockchain and big data technologies; and digital talent exchange through workshops, skills certification and training programs. The MOU marks an expansion of the Land and Sea Corridor from physical infrastructure to a dual-track model incorporating digital channels, with parties agreeing to establish regular cooperation mechanisms to advance implementation and inject digital momentum into regional trade, industrial upgrading and economic growth.

AFP and Xinhua Sign Exchange MOU

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On January 18, 2024, the Paris-based global news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) and China’s official Xinhua News Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing. According to Xinhua, the two agencies agreed to jointly hold photo exhibitions in Beijing and Paris in 2024 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations. They also discussed coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Xinhua characterized AFP as “one of the first Western news agencies to establish a friendly and cooperative relationship with Xinhua,” noting their first news exchange protocol in 1957. The agreement was signed at the sidelines of the 5th World Media Summit (第五屆世界媒體峰會) held in China’s southern Guangdong province, and was signed by Xinhua President Fu Hua (傅華) along with AFP CEO Fabrice Fries, a long-time corporate executive with no journalism and media background who has also served as the president of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA).  

iQIYI Signs Cooperation in Middle East

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During the BRIDGE Global Media Summit held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2025, Chinese streaming platform iQIYI (爱奇艺) announced a strategic cooperation with the UAE-based BRIDGE Alliance, an initiative overseen by the UAE National Media Office. The cooperation reportedly involves plans for joint IP development, film and television production and distribution, virtual production and VR applications, and media technology exchanges focused on the Middle East and North Africa. iQIYI (爱奇艺) framed the announcement as a further step in expanding its regional presence following the launch of its MENA service in May 2025. However, the scope, funding, and concrete outcomes of the cooperation remain unspecified, and claims about ecosystem building and cross-regional impact originate primarily from the participating parties and have yet to be independently substantiated.

Deutsche Welle-CCTV Cooperation Agreement

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In August and September 2014, Deutsche Welle (德國之聲) Director General Peter Limbourg announced cooperation agreements with China Central Television (中央電視台), including co-productions in music and business programming. Just months later, in early 2015, Deutsche Welle announced it would temporarily suspend the partnership after it came under scrutiny from the German Bundestag, according to testimony given by journalist Su Yutong before a hearing of the US Congressional-Executive Commission in 2016. Su’s CECC testimony alleged that Deutsche Welle had softened the stance of the network’s Chinese-language coverage on China after a meeting between Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde and Peter Limbourg. The announced 2014 cooperation between Deutsche Welle and CCTV also drew strong criticism at the time from Reporters Without Borders Germany, which called it “incompatible” with DW’s mission, noting CCTV’s role in China’s “repressive apparatus” against journalists.

UNICEF Partners with Shanghai State Media Outlet

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On December 4, The Paper (澎湃新闻), a CCP-run media outlet in the municipality of Shanghai, signed an MoU with UNICEF China, pledging to jointly promote children’s issues, including climate change, mental health, and early childhood development. The partnership grants the Party-controlled outlet — which describes itself as a “responsible internet-based mainstream media platform” — a formal relationship with the UN agency to advance coverage of children’s rights. The MOU was signed by The Paper’s editor-in-chief Liu Yonggang (刘永钢) and UNICEF representative Cynthia McCaffrey (桑爱玲), establishing what both sides characterized as a “strategic partnership.” According to the UNICEF website, McCaffrey was the China representative for the office through October 2022, when she was promoted as head of the India office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

AGI and Xinhua Sign News Sharing Agreement

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On April 8, 2014, Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (AGI) and Xinhua News Agency (新華社) signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration on economic news sharing and content exchange between Italy and China. The agreement was signed by both agencies’s CEO’s. According to AGI’s announcement, the partnership would cover “sharing of news, expertise and experiences on commercial and cultural processes between Italy and China,” as well as the joint organization of training activities.