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Activity Type: Media Cooperation Agreement

Nordic Chinese Times Signs Deal with People’s Daily

In October 2016, the People’s Daily Overseas Edition (人民日報海外版) signed a cooperation agreement with the Nordic Chinese Times (北歐時報) in Beijing. People’s Daily Editorial Board Member and Overseas Edition Editor-in-Chief Wang Shucheng (王樹成) met with Nordic Chinese Times President He Ru (何儒) to reach what they called a “consensus on in-depth cooperation” (深入合作達成共識). Under the agreement, the Nordic Chinese Times would publish four pages of authorized People’s Daily content in each issue, with distribution centered in Stockholm and reaching across five Nordic countries. The Nordic Chinese Times, founded eight years earlier by the Nordic Chinese Chamber of Commerce (北歐中國商會), claimed it would “tell China’s story well” and “spread China’s voice” (講好中國故事,傳播好中國聲音). Despite positioning itself as a “neutral media” (中立媒體), analysis by the China Media Project found that by 2024 the paper’s “China News” section was sourcing 100 percent of its content from Haiwainet (海外網), the People’s Daily‘s overseas platform.

Xinhua Signs Agreement with ANSA to Launch “Xinhua Italian Service”

Italian news agency ANSA (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata) and China’s Xinhua News Agency (新華社) signed a collaboration agreement in Rome on March 22, 2019, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Italy. The agreement established an Italian-language Xinhua news service that ANSA would distribute exclusively through its platforms. Xinhua President Cai Mingzhao (蔡名照), who had served in senior Chinese Communist Party media roles for over two decades, signed the accord with ANSA CEO Stefano De Alessandri. Officials said the service would be “clearly identified and separate from ANSA’s production.” De Alessandri claimed the deal would provide “a broad and systematic information panorama on China” and what he called a “window open on the Chinese system.” The agreement expanded on a 2017 deal between the agencies for news exchange and content collaboration. ANSA terminated the agreement in June 2022.

Cambodian Outlets Partner with Guangxi International Communication Center

In December 2024, eight mainstream Cambodian media outlets signed cooperation agreements with the Guangxi International Communication Center (廣西國際傳播中心), ostensibly aiming to promote resource sharing, experience exchange, and technological innovation in journalism between the two countries. The participating Cambodian entities included the General Department of Information and Broadcasting under the Ministry of Information, along with media outlets such as Fresh News (新鮮新聞網), Apsara Media Services (仙女電視台), Thmey Thmey (新新新聞網), Jianhua Daily (柬華日報), Huashang Daily (華商日報), People’s News Network (人民新聞網), Angkor News Daily (吳哥新聞日報), and Angkor News Network (吳哥新聞網), as well as the Cambodia-China Journalists Association (柬中記者協會) and Cambodia-China New Media Association (柬中新媒體人協會). Phos Sovann, Cambodia’s director, stated that “news cooperation is an important bridge for friendly relations between countries” and would “inject new momentum” into resource sharing and technological innovation. Yang Tian (陽天), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Guangxi Daily, emphasized strengthening joint planning to create more popular media products and expanding cooperation in talent training. About 120 representatives attended, including Chen Yijun (陳奕君), Standing Committee Member and Publicity Department Director of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Party Committee. The Guangxi International Communication Center is part of China’s expanding network of provincial-level state media institutions established to coordinate external propaganda efforts, particularly targeting ASEAN countries.

China and Portugal Sign Media Cooperation Initiative Under the Belt and Road

On February 25, 2019, Wang Dongmei (王冬梅), Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Journalists Association (中華全國新聞工作者協會), and João Palmeiro, President of the Portuguese Press Association, signed a Belt and Road news exchange cooperation agreement in Lisbon. The All-China Journalists Association is a Communist Party-controlled organization with over one million journalist members that serves as an “important layer of exercising CCP control over news organizations.” According to the agreement, both sides would organize mutual visits by news delegations, conduct joint interviews on Belt and Road themes, participate in journalist forums, and encourage training activities. Wang claimed the Belt and Road Initiative “provides a new platform for exchanges and cooperation between countries” and would help “enhance communication and information sharing among news media and journalists.” Both parties reportedly viewed the 40th anniversary of China-Portugal diplomatic relations as an opportunity to open a “new chapter” in media cooperation.

China and Maldives State Media Sign Cooperation Agreement

China Media Group (中央廣播電視總臺) and Maldives Public Service Media signed a cooperation memorandum in Beijing on January 10, 2024, during Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit to China. The signing by Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), president of China Media Group and deputy minister of the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, and Ibrahim Khaleel, Maldivian Minister at the President’s Office for Strategic Communications, was witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Muizzu. The agreement aims to establish “regular cooperation mechanisms” for content exchange, industry collaboration, personnel exchanges, and technological innovation. State media claimed this would “contribute media strength to promoting comprehensive strategic partnership relations” between the countries. Maldives Public Service Media, established in 2015, is the country’s official media organization with four TV channels, three radio frequencies, and multiple digital platforms. This agreement followed the upgrading of China-Maldives relations to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” during the same visit, with 20 cooperation documents signed across various sectors.

China Economic Information Service Inks Deal With Several European Media

China Economic Information Service (CEIS) (中國經濟信息社), an affiliate of Xinhua News Agency, inaugurated the Belt and Road Economic and Financial Information Partnership on December 1, 2017, in Frankfurt, Germany. CEIS signed memoranda of understanding with 17 European think-tanks and media outlets, including Germany’s DPA-AFX, Italy’s Class Editori, Britain’s Metro, Polish News Agency, Athens News Agency, and Serbia’s Tanjug News Agency. Wang Shunqing (王順清), Consul General of China in Frankfurt, stated the partnership would “benefit resources integration” and “improve the level of international economic information cooperation.” CEIS Vice President Kuang Lecheng (匡樂成) said the partnership aimed to build a “silk road of financial information” through the Xinhua Silk Road platform. European partners reportedly expressed support, with DPA-AFX’s Rainer Finke noting plans to “further enhance cooperation” and Class Editori’s Paolo Panerai claiming the partnership was “at the right time.”

China News Service Signs Strategic Agreement with Laos Future Media Co Ltd

On January 13, 2015, the China News Service (中國新聞社) Yunnan Branch signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Laos Future Media Company (老撾未來傳媒有限公司) in Kunming, with the partnership aimed at “promoting China-Laos media development” and “contributing to China-Laos cultural exchange.” The agreement established “comprehensive, multi-level strategic cooperation” to “integrate information resources” and “expand information influence,” according to the source material. Under the partnership, the Yunnan Branch would collaborate with Laos Future Media’s platforms including its news website, WeChat account, and business magazine. The organizations said they would jointly “promote Chinese-language media development in Laos” and “provide news services to ethnic Chinese in the country.” Laos Future Media Company was established in Vientiane in 2012 and operates print and online platforms providing Laos-related news targeted at ethnic Chinese readers.

China Signs Media Deal With RTVC

On October 24, 2023, a signing ceremony for the “China Time” project was held at RTVC Sistema de Medios Públicos (Radio Televisión Nacional de Colombia) in Bogotá. The signing established a formal media cooperation agreement between Colombian public broadcaster RTVC and Chinese media entities as part of the “Chinese Television Theater” initiative’s expansion into Latin America. The project was organized by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局) and the Chongqing Municipal Government. Chongqing Jiazuo Film and Culture Media Co. (重慶佳左影視文化傳媒有限公司) and Classic Media China Internacional (經典傳媒中國國際有限公司), a Chinese-based company operating in Peru, signed the cooperation memorandum with the Colombian broadcaster. The ceremony featured exhibitions of Chongqing’s cultural heritage, including paper cutting, embroidery, lacquer screens, tea ceremonies, and Tai Chi performances. According to Chinese state media, the program aims to broadcast Chinese television series, documentaries, and films to “nearly 500 million Latin American viewers,” including shows like The Three-Body Problem, Mountain and Sea Love, and youth-oriented narratives. Chinese officials described the agreement as having “milestone significance” in China’s media collaboration with Latin American countries.

China and Australia Sign Six Media Cooperation Agreements

A China-Australia media exchange and cooperation signing ceremony was held in Sydney on May 27, 2016, where six agreements were signed between Chinese and Australian media organizations. Zhou Zongmin (周宗敏), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency (新華通訊社), signed a memorandum of understanding with Bob Carr, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney and former Australian Foreign Minister. Other agreements included China Daily (中國日報社) with Fairfax Media Group, China Radio International (中國國際廣播電台) with Global CAMG Media, and People’s Daily Online with Australian News Channel. Carr stated that “media cooperation is an important channel for Australia to truly understand China.” The ceremony highlighted what Beijing characterized as the strengthening of bilateral media relationships within the broader China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership framework