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Activity Type: Media Cooperation Agreement

Xinhua and China Media Group Ink Deals with Sangbad Sangstha and Bangladesh Television

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Bangladesh’s national news agency, signed cooperation agreements with Xinhua News Agency (新華社) and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) on July 10, 2024, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to China. BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad signed memorandums that officials said would “extend beneficial cooperation” in news and information exchange. The agencies reported they would conduct “multilevel and wide-ranging cooperation,” including “personal exchanges, training, and seminars” for journalists and technical experts. The agreements called for what was described as “technological exchanges” and “innovation and development in media technologies,” with officials noting all activities would operate “in accordance with their respective domestic laws.” The signing occurred during a high-level exchange that officials said was meant to enhance “mutual understanding” between the agencies during Hasina’s July 8-10 visit to Beijing.

China and Cambodia Sign Broadcasting Cooperation Plan

China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) (國家廣播電視總局) and Cambodia’s Ministry of Information signed an action plan (2025-2026) for broadcasting cooperation during President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) state visit to Cambodia on April 17. The plan outlines 13 collaborative projects spanning audiovisual policy communication, personnel exchanges, and content and technology industry cooperation. Projects include co-producing documentaries “The Story of Peace—Traveling with Zheng He” (和的故事—跟著鄭和遊山海) and “Neighborliness·Cambodia” (睦鄰·柬埔寨), and launching a Cambodian language version of the Lancang-Mekong Audiovisual App. The content selection reflects Beijing’s historical narratives and regional connectivity themes that serve its strategic messaging objectives. The agreement was part of 37 cooperation documents signed during Xi’s two-day visit, which concluded his three-nation Southeast Asian tou,r including Vietnam and Malaysia.

Sichuan Daily and Radio Cooperativa Make Media Deal

The Sichuan International Communication Center (四川國際傳播中心), operated by the Sichuan Daily Press Group (四川日報報業集團), hosted the signing of a news exchange agreement with Chile’s Radio Cooperativa on August 29, 2024, during the 2024 “Belt and Road” Media Cooperation Forum in Chengdu. The center, which claimed to reach “more than 20 million overseas users,” describes itself as a “key provincial professional institution” under Sichuan’s five-year plan for international communications. Radio Cooperativa, broadcasting since 1935, covers major Chilean cities and provides online content globally. The agencies said they would cooperate on “content interchange, personnel exchange, and activity planning” to promote what they called “people-to-people exchanges” and enhance the “Sino-Chilean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” which Chile and China established in 2016. The Sichuan center is part of China’s broader network of International Communication Centers established by provinces under central government supervision to coordinate foreign-directed media efforts.

Sichuan International Communication Center Signs MOU with Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents

The Sichuan International Communication Center (四川國際傳播中心), or SICC, a provincial-level international communication body launched in March 2022, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (馬來西亞旅遊業協會) in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement, announced on May 27, 2026, covers resource co-development, joint promotional activities, tourist referrals, service coordination, and policy innovation, with the stated aim of raising the international profile of both destinations and promoting people-to-people exchange. The Sichuan center cited the bilateral context of Xi Jinping’s April 2025 state visit to Malaysia — which it framed as launching a new “golden 50 years” of relations — and noted that a mutual visa-exemption agreement took effect on July 17, 2025. The center also promoted its inbound tourism platform, PandaGuide (熊貓指南), which it reported had attracted more than 1,801 groups of inbound tourists since visa transit policy changes. That same week, PandaGuide’s X account posted propaganda content tied to a Sichuan tour by Taiwanese internet celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢), also known as “Guan Zhang” (館長), using the phrase “two shores are one family” (兩岸一家) and thanking him for “speaking up for cross-strait relations.”

StarTimes Media and NRTA Sign Content Sharing Agreement

China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局) and StarTimes Media Kenya signed a media cooperation agreement in Nairobi on July 1, 2024. NRTA Deputy Director Dong Xin (董新), who previously served as China Mobile CEO before his appointment to the media regulator in January 2024, said the deal would “help build bridges of friendship and mutual understanding” through content sharing, according to state media. The event launched “China TV Theater” and included a licensing agreement with Kenya’s Citizen Television for the drama series “Welcome to Milele Village” (歡迎來到麥樂村), which tells the story of Chinese medical teams working in Africa. Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Edward Kisiang’ani said they hoped for “two-way exchanges” where “Kenyan content will also be viewed in China,” as reported by the outlet. The NRTA, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, actively promotes China’s international media partnerships through state-controlled entities and cultural exchanges.

NRTA Signs MOU with UAE Media Council

On May 30, 2024, in Beijing, China’s National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局) and the United Arab Emirates Media Council signed a memorandum of understanding, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping (习近平) and visiting UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The agreement, signed by NRTA Director Cao Shumin (曹淑敏) and UAE National Media Office Director Abdullah, purportedly establishes cooperation in policy communication, content collaboration, program exchanges, personnel exchanges, technology applications, and industry development. According to the Chinese state-affiliated source, the UAE Media Council serves as the government authority responsible for media policy formulation and industry regulation, though the specific details of implementation and the practical scope of this media partnership remain unclear.

CMG Signs Media Cooperation Agreement with NMG

Russia’s National Media Group (NMG) and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a cooperation agreement on May 8, 2025, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow for Victory Day commemorations. The agreement covers content exchange, joint production, and technology sharing between the two state media entities. NMG’s CEO said the partnership was “an important step,” asserting (apparently citing social media views) that NMG’s animated series “Three Cats” (三只小猫) — a series by director Dmitry Vysotsky about a family of felines — has achieved “several billion views in China.” The signing coincided with an announcement that “Red Silk,” a Russian-Chinese detective film about 1927 Trans-Siberian Railway espionage, received China’s “dragon seal” certification, a difficult-to-obtain permit by film control authorities allowing unlimited theatrical distribution of films in the country.

CCP Media Group Launches Column in German Paper

China Media Group (CMG) (中央廣播電視總台) and Germany’s Berliner Zeitung (柏林日報) launched a new column in November 2024 called “China Perspective,” featuring articles by CMG reporters. The column’s first piece, published on November 16, analyzed Volkswagen’s factory closures while highlighting China’s developments in electric vehicles. A second article, published on November 30, discussed the C919 commercial airliner and promoted Beijing’s narrative that China is “becoming an important global player” in aviation, citing developments in fighter jets and transport aircraft. CMG, which is under direct control of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, frames this collaboration as providing Germans with “a new channel to understand China.” In reality, this partnership represents what analysts have identified as China’s “borrowed boat” strategy—a documented approach of utilizing foreign media platforms to advance state messaging internationally through content placement arrangements.

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