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Activity Type: Media Partnership or Co-Production

People’s Daily and Zambian Media Conduct Joint Reporting on China-Africa Cooperation

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On July 29, 2024, the People’s Daily (人民日報) and several Zambian media outlets conducted a joint reporting visit in Lusaka under the theme “China-Africa Cooperation in the New Era” (新時代中非合作) — described as the first such joint reporting exercise between Chinese and Zambian media conducted on Zambian soil. Journalists from the People’s Daily, the Zambia Daily Mail, and the Daily Nation visited the Lusaka Park of the Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (中贊經貿合作區), described in the People’s Daily report as China’s first economic and trade cooperation zone in Africa. According to the People’s Daily, as of June 2024 the zone hosted nearly 90 Chinese enterprises with total investment exceeding 2.7 billion US dollars, and cumulative sales revenue of more than 28 billion US dollars. The joint visit was framed in the People’s Daily as an exercise in “telling the story of China-Zambia and China-Africa cooperation in the new era” (講好新時代中贊、中非合作故事) and “telling the story of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative co-construction” (講好高質量共建一帶一路故事) — formulations that echo Xi Jinping’s directive to “tell China’s story well” (講好中國故事), first issued at the 2013 National Propaganda and Ideology Work Conference. The report was published in the People’s Daily on July 31, 2024.

China Media Group and Gazprom-Media Holding Sign Strategic Media Partnership Agreement

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On May 16, 2024, Aleksandr Zharov, CEO of Gazprom-Media Holding, and Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), President of China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台), signed a media cooperation agreement in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The ceremony coincided with the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations and the China-Russia Year of Culture. Zharov stated that “the friendship between Russia and China has reached the highest level of trust,” while Shen expressed that China Media Group was “ready to share its wisdom and strength for the benefit of the two countries.” Under the agreement, the companies committed to exchanging technological expertise and strengthening news broadcasting cooperation between Russia’s largest media corporation and China’s leading state media organization.

Macau Daily Signs Cooperation Agreement with Global Media Group

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In September 2023, Macau Daily News (澳門日報) signed a cooperation agreement with Portugal’s Global Media Group. Under the agreement, Macau Daily News launched a special section titled “A Window into Chinese Culture” (中國文化之窗) in the group’s newspaper, Diário de Notícias, with the first installment published on September 28, 2023. Macau, a former Portuguese colony that was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, maintains Portuguese as an official language alongside Chinese. The section appears every Thursday, and covers topics such as Macau’s historical and cultural relations with China and Portugal, prominent figures in Sino-Western cultural exchange, Chinese philosophical thought, traditional festivals, and China’s intangible cultural heritage. Chui Chi Tou (崔志濤), editor-in-chief of Macao Daily News, stated that the partnership aimed to “leverage the unique role of Macao in the cultural exchanges between China and the West,” according to the report. Marco Galinha, then chairman of the board of Global Media Group, described the partnership as an opportunity to expand readership and advance the group’s international strategy.

China and Bangladesh Sign MOU on Radio and Television Cooperation

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On July 10, 2024, during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official visit to China, China’s National Radio and Television Administration Director Cao Shumin (曹淑敏) signed a cooperation agreement with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, represented by Bangladesh Television Director Mahmud Jahangir Alam. The signing was witnessed by both countries’ prime ministers, Li Qiang (李強) and Sheikh Hasina. The agreement establishes cooperation covering policy communication, program exchanges, joint production, personnel training, and technical collaboration in broadcasting and television. The media cooperation occurred during Hasina’s three-day visit from July 8-10, which elevated bilateral relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” However, the visit concluded with Hasina departing Beijing earlier than planned, with reports suggesting dissatisfaction over China providing only limited financial assistance compared to expectations of five billion dollars in loans.

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

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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.”

People’s Daily Signs Agreement with Lusa News Agency

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On June 2, 2016, the People’s Daily (人民日報), China’s official Communist Party newspaper, signed a cooperation agreement with Portugal’s national news agency Lusa in Beijing. Yang Zhenwu (楊振武), who served as president of People’s Daily from April 2014 to April 2018, and Teresa Marques, then president of Lusa’s Administrative Council, attended the signing ceremony. The agreement was signed during a Belt and Road Forum organized by the People’s Daily, part of the newspaper’s annual series of media cooperation forums launched in 2014 to promote collaboration among international media on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (一帶一路). Under the agreement, the outlets pledged to exchange news content and collaborate on Belt and Road reporting, with Marques noting Lusa could contribute coverage across Portuguese-speaking countries in Portugal, Africa, and Asia.

CMG and Spanish Ministry of Culture Sign MOU

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On September 9, 2024, China Media Group (CMG) and Spain’s Ministry of Culture signed a memorandum for strategic cooperation on broadcasting and film production. According to a report from China Central Television, the state-run broadcaster under CMG, the memorandum establishes “a regular cooperation mechanism” for cultural heritage protection and personnel exchanges, and commits both parties to “joint production and broadcasting of cultural programs” (文化節目聯合制播). The deal means CMG can co-produce documentaries and content about Spanish culture and China-Spain relations that will be broadcast on CMG’s networks in China and internationally, while Spain’s Ministry of Culture gains access (in principle) to CMG’s production resources and Chinese broadcast markets. Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez witnessed the signing during Sánchez’s second official visit to China. 

China’s Ambassador Touts CCP Success in Portuguese Media

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On June 18, 2021, the Chinese Ambassador to Portugal, Zhao Bentang (趙本堂), published a signed article in the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias titled “Why has the Communist Party of China been able to gain power and maintain long-term governance in China?” (中國共產黨為什麼能夠在中國取得政權並長期執政？). The article presented the official Chinese Communist Party narrative on its hundred-year history, arguing that the CCP’s success in recent decades stems from adapting Marxism to Chinese conditions, prioritizing people’s interests over special interest groups, embracing reform and openness, learning from global civilizations, and demonstrating international responsibility through peaceful development and multilateral cooperation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ In an oft-used CCP argument against concerns stemming from China’s global engagement, Zhao said that China does not “import” foreign models and does not “export” (輸出) the China Model. 

Chinese Ambassador Pens Article on China-EU Relations

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On July 22, 2025, Ambassador Zhao Bentang published a signed article in Portugal’s Diário de Notícias to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties established on May 6, 1975, between China and the European Economic Community (EEC). Although the EU was formally established in 1993, both sides recognize 1975 as the official start of their diplomatic history. The article emphasized growing bilateral trade and criticized “unilateralism and bullying behavior” (單邊主義，霸凌行徑), an apparent criticism of the United States and the imposition of tariffs. Ambassador Zhao also noted the 20th anniversary of China-Portugal’s comprehensive strategic partnership, established in 2005. Zhao called on Europe to “respect China’s core interests with practical actions” (以實際行動尊重中方核心利益) and to follow the “One China Principle” (一個中國原則) — an assertion of China’s claimed sovereignty over Taiwan. This demand is at odds with the Taiwan positions upheld by many members of the European Union, who adhere to their own understandings of “one China” that do not endorse the PRC’s sovereignty claims over Taiwan. Most EU states use strategic language in their diplomatic communiqués. Instead of “recognizing” that Taiwan is part of China, they often “acknowledge,” “take note of,” or “understand and respect” Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China. This allows them to avoid taking a formal legal stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty.