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Activity Type: Promotional or Propaganda Media Event

Xiamen University Hosts China-ASEAN Journalism Education Conference

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The “China-ASEAN Journalism Education Conference” (中國—東盟未來新聞傳播教育會議), bringing together approximately 30 academic representatives from nine ASEAN countries alongside Chinese academics, was held from September 13-14, 2025, in the port city of Xiamen. Co-organized by the School of Journalism and Communication of Xiamen University (廈門大學新聞傳播學院) and the university’s Center for International Communication Research (廈門大學國際傳播研究中心), the conference revolved around the theme of journalism and the role of artificial intelligence. Indian national Daya K. Thussu (達雅·屠蘇), president of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), participated in sessions focused on artificial intelligence’s impact on journalism. He said that journalism education “needs to summarize the past to face the future” and stressed the importance of cooperation among ASEAN journalism education institutions to address future challenges posed by technological developments and changing media landscapes. The conference, which emphasized “building a China-ASEAN journalism education community” (构建中国—东盟新闻传播教育共同体), reflected Beijing’s broader regional foreign policy strategy, using partnerships in media, education, and culture to further its geopolitical goals. Chinese media reports indicated participation by representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Yunnan Hosts 2025 Global South Media Forum

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China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, and the Yunnan government jointly hosted the 2025 Global South Media and Think Tank Forum in Kunming, Yunnan Province from September 6-10, gathering 500 journalists, scholars, government officials and entrepreneurs from more than 260 media outlets across 110 countries. Making the broader diplomatic objectives of the forum clear, Hu Heping (胡和平), a deputy director of the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department, told attendees that China’s Global Governance Initiative (GCI) provides “important guidance” for reforming global governance systems—an agenda China has pushed strongly to carve out a more central role for itself and Russia with talk of more “democratic” (i.e., less US-centric) decision-making. Invoking a key foreign policy principle of Xi Jinping and the central leadership, Xinhua president Fu Hua (傅华) suggested the forum and ongoing cooperation would help build “a community with a shared future for humanity.” Key participants included Khamphan Pheuyavong from Laos’ ruling People’s Revolutionary Party and UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, who addressed the forum via video calling for enhanced global sustainability and cultural exchanges. Fleming, herself an experienced journalist appointed to her post in 2019, was quoted in official Chinese sources as calling for participants to “restore balance to the global information ecosystem,” a notion that perhaps was intended to signal the need for real inclusiveness, but that in context bolstered China’s efforts to sideline ideas about journalistic and media freedom. Under Xi, China has promoted the idea of “journalism with Chinese characteristics” (中国特色新闻学), with the aim of “transcending the journalism discourse hegemony constructed by the West” (超越西方构建起的新闻话语霸权). The talk of global cooperation on information issues came alongside clear framing of the United States as a destructive player engaging in “cognitive warfare” and “ideological colonization” against Global South nations. The forum promoted cooperation among Global South media and was set to release two signature documents: the Yunnan Consensus pledging expanded cooperative news production, and a research report on China’s contribution to global public intellectual products distilling best practices from South-South initiatives.

China and Zimbabwe Hold Film Promotion Event

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On August 8, 2018, the China-Africa Friendly Economic and Trade Development Foundation (中非友好經貿發展基金會) hosted a promotional event in Beijing for the film “When Africa Meets You” (非洲遇見你). The event took place in the context of heightened China-Africa relations, as President Xi Jinping had recently completed a four-country African tour in July 2018, visiting Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, and Mauritius, ahead of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in September 2018. The film promotion featured participation from diplomats, including Zimbabwe’s Deputy Chief of Mission Mugabekuru Spencer Dube, representatives from over twenty Chinese state-owned enterprises, including CITIC Group and China Railway Construction Corporation, and former Chinese Ambassador to Guinea Zhao Lixing (趙立興). Emphasizing the films foreign relations value, producer Wan Minfang (宛敏芳) described the production as “the first comprehensive film shot in Zimbabwe,” which she expressly noted was “once called Europe’s backyard.” The film was released theatrically and, according to Chinese media, grossed $157,273 worldwide.

Belt and Road Documentary Launches in Kabul

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On December 5, 2017, Kabul News TV launched the five-episode documentary “The Belt and Road Story of China and Afghanistan” (中國與阿富汗”一帶一路”故事) at a ceremony in Kabul. The documentary features interviews with officials from China and Afghanistan, focusing on exchanges under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. More than 30 attendees included Zhang Zhixin (張志新), Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Sayada Muzagan Mustafavi, and Kabul News TV CEO Ghulam Gilani Zawak. Zhang praised the documentary’s “clear theme and rich content,” stating that it reflects developing bilateral relations in culture and trade with “positive significance for enhancing people-to-people understanding.” “People-to-people” exchange refers in the discourse of the Chinese Communist Party to efforts to enhance ties and press agendas through interactions below the state level — though these exchanges consistently involve state-backed entities, including government-run NGOS, on the China side. Mustafavi said the documentary was “broadcast at the right time to meet the needs of cultural exchange,” helping “more Afghans understand and love China.” Kabul News TV, established in 2011, produces programming in Dari and Pashto and previously imported the 100-episode documentary “Hello, China” in 2015, providing “a window for the Afghan public to understand China.”

China Today Hosts Youth Dialogue

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China Today held the “Gathering at China Today Salon – The Bridge of Peace: Dialogue Between Greater Bay Area and European Youth Leaders” on July 27, 2025, at its Macao Salon in Hengqin, Guangdong Province. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) (中國人民對外友好協會) and China International Communication Group (CICG) (中國外文局), with organizational support from the Guangdong People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The event, themed “Lasting Peace by Youth, Brighter Future via Technology,” took place on the eve of the World Youth Peace Conference. Yang Wanming (楊萬明), president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), delivered a video message claiming that “young people are the most dynamic force in society.” Du Zhanyuan (杜占元), president of China International Communications Group (CICG), stated the event aimed to “create opportunities for mutual learning and business collaboration” between Chinese and European young entrepreneurs. Jacobo García, president of the Global Youth Leadership Forum, delivered remarks highlighting what he described as the “pivotal role of technological revolution, economic development, and global cooperation” in addressing shared challenges. Chinese sources indicate over 80 youth representatives and sector representatives from China and Europe attended the event.

Silk Road Journey 2024 Celebration Ceremony Held in Paris

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A celebration ceremony for the “2024 Silk Road Journey: Road to Prosperity” (2024絲綢之路萬里行·繁榮之路) cross-national media event was held in Paris on August 7, 2024. The 40-member media delegation from Shaanxi Broadcasting Bureau reportedly traveled over 17,000 kilometers across 13 countries in 47 days, using Hongqi (紅旗) vehicles along the ancient Silk Road route. Hongqi (紅旗), established in 1958 by FAW Group, is China’s oldest luxury automotive brand and has historically served as the ceremonial vehicle for Chinese state functions. The delegation generated “6.6 billion views through their coverage, conducted 600 hours of live broadcasting,” and visited multiple European media outlets. At the ceremony, French cultural heritage expert Pascal Roussel, who holds France’s Order of Academic Palms Knight and Commander medals, and Shaanxi Broadcasting Bureau Deputy Director Han Pengge (韓棚格) delivered speeches. The event coincided with the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the Olympic Games. Commercial partners reportedly signed purchasing contracts worth 9.07 million yuan during the journey.