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Activity Type: Media Partnership or Co-Production

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.

Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Meets with Diário de Notícias

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On February 6, 2024, Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Zhao Bentang (趙本堂) met with representatives from Diário de Notícias, a Portuguese newspaper founded in 1864. The meeting, reported only by the Chinese Embassy, featured Zhao promoting China’s foreign policy framework and proposing expanded media cooperation. The newspaper’s representatives pledged to present “a real, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China” to Portuguese readers — language that closely echoes Chinese state media narratives about countering alleged Western media bias. 

Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Pens Article for Diario de Noticias

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On September 11, 2024, China’s ambassador to Portugal published an article in Diário de Notícias, a Portuguese daily newspaper, discussing the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit held September 4-6, 2024. FOCAC is a China-led platform for cooperation with African countries, established in 2000. The ambassador characterized the summit as China’s largest recent diplomatic event, with leaders from over 50 African countries attending. He outlined a three-year cooperation framework and called for China-Portugal-Africa trilateral cooperation to “support Africa in achieving modernization through its own path” (支持非洲以自身道路实现现代化). The ambassador’s framing emphasized China’s role as a partner in African development, echoing Beijing’s broader narrative of South-South cooperation. He also pitched for trilateral cooperation targeted Portugal’s existing relationships with six Portuguese-speaking African nations: Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea.

CMG Signs Broadcasting Agreement with La Liga

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On September 12, 2024, China Media Group (CMG) and La Liga, the Spanish football league, signed a media cooperation agreement in Beijing. The agreement, signed by CMG President Shen Haixiong (沈海雄) and La Liga President Javier Tebas, granted CMG broadcasting rights for the 2024-25 La Liga season across television and digital platforms. According to CMG, the parties also agreed to cooperate on commercial exchanges and youth football development. Tebas said La Liga wanted to share its operational experience to help “promote the development of the football industry in China.”The signing coincided with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit to China, during which he met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). 

Xi Publishes Article in Portuguese Newspaper Ahead of 2018 State Visit

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On December 3, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Portugal’s weekly newspaper Diário de Notícias titled “Friendship that Transcends Time and Space, Partners for the Future” (跨越時空的友誼 面向未來的夥伴) ahead of his state visit. The article quoted the 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões on Portugal’s geographic position and referenced historical cultural exchanges, including the Portuguese adoption of Chinese silk-making techniques. through Belt and Road initiatives, positioning Portugal as a “key hub” that connects the land and maritime Silk Roads. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a major development plan that aims to connect China with the rest of the world. During the visit, Xi and the then-President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed a Belt and Road Memorandum of Understanding, making Portugal the first Western European nation to formally join the initiative.

Malaysia and China Sign MOU on Content Production and Sharing

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China’s National Radio and Television Administration (国家广播电视总局) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding on September 26, 2024. The agreement aimed to “deepen practical cooperation” in areas including content creation, program exchange, and technological development while addressing challenges and opportunities brought by new technologies to traditional broadcasting. Meeting in Beijing during the 50th anniversary year of China-Malaysia diplomatic relations, China’s broadcasting chief Cao Shumin (曹淑敏) met with Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. The memorandum comes as both sides highlighted recent successes in “joint production and industry cooperation” (联合制作, 产业合作), with Malaysia noting that broadcasting has played a “positive role in enhancing mutual understanding” between the two nations.

Denmark and China Sign a Film Co-Production Agreement

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On May 3, 2017, Denmark signed a film co-production agreement with China during Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s official visit to Beijing. The agreement was negotiated between China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) (國家新聞出版廣電總局) and the Danish Film Institute (Det Danske Filminstitut) (丹麥電影中心). Danish Film Institute CEO Henrik Bo Nielsen signed the agreement at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (李克強) and Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen in attendance. The co-production agreement grants film projects access to national film support and theatrical markets in both countries. Danish films co-produced with Chinese partners would not be subject to China’s import quota of a maximum of 38 foreign films annually, instead gaining equal access to the Chinese market. Nielsen stated that the agreement “will be important to both parties, both economically and culturally” and that “encounters that take place when we exchange and cooperate on art and culture are both inspiring and necessary for mutual understanding.”