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Activity Type: Media Training or Seminar

Indonesian and Malaysian Journalists Visit Xinjiang

Journalists from Indonesia and Malaysia visited the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆維吾爾自治區) from February 22-27, 2019, as part of the ASEAN Elites China Tour 2019. According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, the group included a senior editor from the Indonesian newspaper Kompas, an assistant editor from the Malaysian newspaper Sinar Harian, the chief editor of the Indonesian digital platform IDN Times, and representatives from Liputan6, Metro TV,  and Antara (Indonesia’s national news agency). The journalists visited what Chinese authorities described as “vocational education and training centers” in the eastern Shule and Hotan County. Participants were quoted describing facilities as having “spacious buildings” and being “well-equipped,” with one journalist quoted by Xinhua saying that it was “not as reported by some news outlets.” Human rights organizations have criticized such government-organized tours as highly controlled and designed to counter international reporting that has documented serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang. International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Office, have documented that more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in these facilities since 2017, with torture and other abuses reported by former detainees.  

Guangzhou Hosts Cross-Strait and Southeast Asia Media Tour

More than 40 Chinese-language journalists and creators from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia took part in the “2025 Cross-Strait and Southeast Asian Chinese-Language Media Guangzhou Tour” (两岸暨港澳·东南亚华文媒体广州行) on December 2, 2025, in Guangzhou. The three-day program, themed “New Quality in the Bay Area, New Colors in Yangcheng” (湾区新质 羊城新彩), brought participants to tech parks, industrial zones, and cultural landmarks — emphasizing the official framing of the “Greater Bay Area,” a development vision including southern Chinese cities along with Hong Kong and Macau. The event was hosted by the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (海峡两岸关系协会), or ARATS, and the Guangzhou Taiwan Affairs Office (广州市台办), together with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Guangdong People’s Government (廣東省人民政府台灣事務辦公室) and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (國務院台灣事務辦公室). Ma Xiaoguang (马晓光), vice-president of ARATS, said the event aimed to showcase Guangzhou’s development and promote “telling China’s story” (讲好中国故事). At the launch ceremony, the original song “Hand in Hand” (心手相牵), which coverage by the CCP’s official People’s Daily called “a collaboration between Guangzhou and Taiwan,” was released, along with a propaganda micro-documentary series. Among the participants in the event, one report mentioned the presence of Li Yixiu (李易修), a pro-China Taiwanese influencer known as “History Brother” (歷史哥), and a “Taiwan youth” identified as Yang Shuping (杨舒评).

Foreign Journalists Join Maritime Silk Road Media Tour

On November 30, journalists from Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Asia-Pacific nations visited the SuperX Farm demonstration facility operated by XAG (極飛科技), a Guangzhou-based agricultural technology company, as part of the Maritime Silk Road Joint Media Tour organized by “South,” the English-language platform of the Nanfang International Communication Center (南方國際傳播中心), or NICC. NICC is a provincial-level ICC under the CCP-run Nanfang Media Group (南方報業傳媒集團), which publishes the Nanfang Daily newspaper and other publications in China’s southern Guangdong province. The tour showcased drones, robots, and AI-driven precision farming operations. Participants included Ritika Devi from the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, Himanshu Bhatt from Malaysia’s The Sun, and a journalist from Indonesia’s Antara News Agency. According to the reports, Devi stated that “with drone technology that reduces labor, we can overcome these challenges,” while Bhatt described it as “a good marriage between technology and a necessary mission.” The Indonesian representative was quoted as praising China’s technological prowess, emphasizing their country’s technological needs, and calling on Chinese investors to explore opportunities in Indonesia.

Seventh China-Arab States Broadcasting and Television Cooperation Forum

The 7th China-Arab States Broadcasting and Television Cooperation Forum was held in Chongqing from November 4 to 6, 2025. The event, co-hosted by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (中國國家廣播電視總局), or NRTA, the People’s Government of Chongqing Municipality (重慶市人民政府), the Arab League Secretariat, and the Arab States Broadcasting Union, brought together representatives from China and Arab nations, including officials from Palestine’s Broadcasting Authority, Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), and Mauritania’s High Authority for Press and Audiovisual (Haute Autorité de la Presse et de l’Audiovisuel en Mauritanie). Participants issued a joint declaration on cooperation in news reporting, content creation, technological innovation, and personnel exchanges, while announcing over 50 cooperation outcomes. The forum represents China’s ongoing efforts to strengthen media partnerships with Arab states, dating back to the forum’s inception in 2011.

NRTA Holds Media Seminar for Global South Journalists in Beijing

African journalists from seven Belt and Road countries participated in a two-week new media training seminar in Beijing from October 17-30, 2025, organized by China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局), a ministry-level agency controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department. Media professionals from The Gambia, Barbados, Panama, Jordan, Botswana, Turkey, and Nigeria attended sessions covering international communication, digital platform trends, content development, and intellectual property creation. An official from the NRTA’s International Cooperation Department opened the seminar by outlining Chinese cultural values and governance philosophy, emphasizing the growing influence of new media on public opinion, according to The Point. Participants also visited the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall and explored topics such as the current digital media environment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The event was organized by the Research Training Institute under the NRTA.

Yunnan ICC Hosts Training Tour with Southeast Asia Journalists

In early August 2025, the Yunnan Province People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (雲南省人民對外友好協會) and the Yunnan South and Southeast Asia Regional International Communication Center (雲南省南亞東南亞區域國際傳播中心), the province’s office tasked with external propaganda (外宣) work, organized a five-day media training and cultural exchange program, bringing together more than 20 young bloggers and media practitioners from China, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Participants visited historical sites including the Nanqiao Mechanic Museum (南僑機工分館), which commemorates the more than 3,000 overseas Chinese mechanics who supported China’s war effort during WWII by maintaining the vital Burma Road supply route. As they discussed the topic of peace, participants in the program also learned video production and AI techniques. In a PRC political context, references to “peace” as frequently used in diplomatic exchanges generally include the absence of interventionism and colonialism — making the case for China as a benevolent partner. The Yunnan South and Southeast Asia Regional International Communication Center was founded in May 2022 under the propaganda office of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the CCP, the province’s top leadership. While a full list of participants was not made public, two participants mentioned in related reports included a Vietnamese student from Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外國語大學) and a Malaysian student from Xiamen University (廈門大學).

China Media Group and the National Library of Pakistan Hold Event

On April 21, 2025, the China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台), a state-run media conglomerate under China’s Central Propaganda Department, hosted a seminar in Pakistan commemorating President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the country a decade ago. Held in Islamabad, the diplomatic event was jointly organized by the National Library of Pakistan, featuring prominent government officials reflecting on the impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — a sea and land-based infrastructure network that is meant to further integrate China and parts of South Asia. Federal Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh called Xi’s visit in 2015 “a pivotal moment in bilateral relations,” while Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture Huzaifa Rehman described CPEC as “an economic lifeline” for Pakistan during challenging times. Parliamentary Secretary for IT and Telecommunications Sabheen Ghoury emphasized what she called the “all-weather friendship” between the nations. The event again underscored the key role of central Chinese state media in bilateral diplomacy.

China and Indonesia Hold Youth Media Exchange Program

On August 29, 2025, the “We and the World Dialogue” (我們與世界對話) China-Indonesia youth media exchange took place in Jakarta, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Nearly 100 young representatives from media organizations, universities, and research institutions participated. The event was co-organized by several Chinese institutions linked to the Guangxi Provincial Government, including the Information Office of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (廣西壯族自治區人民政府新聞辦公室), the Guangxi International Communication Center (廣西國際傳播中心) — an office under the province’s propaganda office — and Guangxi Radio and Television (廣西廣播電視台). Indonesian partners included the state-run Televisi Republik Indonesia (印尼國家電視台) and the newspaper Harian InHua (印華日報). Participants explored three central themes throughout the event, including AI, media integration (媒體融合), and “Partners with Shared Destiny” (命運與共好夥伴) — this last theme clearly aligned with Xi Jinping’s foreign policy framework. This event is part of Guangxi’s broader role under a national plan in China to empower border provinces in the south to promote Chinese messaging across Southeast Asia.

China Hosts Fourth Myanmar Journalists Training Program

On July 3-13, 2018, in Kunming, Beijing, and Shanghai, the All-China Journalists Association (中國記協) and Yunnan Provincial Journalists Association (雲南省記協) hosted the fourth Myanmar Journalists Training Program (緬甸記者研修班) for 20 media workers from the Myanmar Journalists Association, Myanmar National Radio and Television (緬甸國家廣播電視台), and Myanmar International Television (緬甸國際電視台). Chinese officials claimed the program, which featured sessions on Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative and new media techniques, would “effectively promote exchange and cooperation” between Chinese and Myanmar media. According to a report from the official Yunnan Daily newspaper, participants from Myanmar expressed interest in technical cooperation and described China-Myanmar relations as offering “new opportunities everywhere.”