Skip to main content

Current Status: Active

World Chinese Media Co-Operation Union

Established in 2009, the Global Chinese Media Cooperative Union is a global organization operated by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department through China News Service (中國新聞社), one of two official wire services in China. While the union claims to be a “non-profit organization voluntarily comprised of overseas Chinese-language media outlets,” it functions as a vehicle to promote Chinese Party-state narratives. The organization publicly states its mission to support official Chinese Communist Party agendas such as the Belt and Road initiative and to “rationally guide the public opinion of ethnic Chinese.” China News Service, which oversees the union, was established on October 1, 1952, and was absorbed into the United Front Work Department in 2018 when its previous oversight body, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, was merged into the UFWD.

China Weekly (Egypt)

Established in 2012 as the sole Chinese-founded publication in the Middle East with official registration under Egypt’s General News Authority, China Weekly Egypt publishes in both Chinese and Arabic. The newspaper focuses on Chinese politics, economics, culture, and sports while featuring a special section on “Chinese in Egypt.” Led by director Ma Qiang (马强) since its founding, the publication produced a “Friendship Special Edition” during Xi Jinping’s 2016 Egypt visit. The newspaper appears connected to China News Service (CNS)—an official state news wire under the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party—based on content analysis and frequent cross-posting to CNS websites. Despite initially achieving financial break-even and expanding to Sudan and Jordan, Ma Qiang told the CCP’s official People’s Daily in 2013, political turmoil in Egypt dramatically reduced the Chinese population from 50,000 to 8,000, challenging the paper’s survival. Ma led the Egypt media delegation to China in October 2024, where he received the PRC flag during a formal welcome ceremony attended by top propaganda officials and CNS leader Tang Weijie (唐伟杰).

China International Communication Group

China International Communications Group, also known as China International Publishing Group (中國國際出版集團), is a state-controlled media organization established in 1949 and owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party. Headquartered in Beijing, it operates as a foreign-language publishing and communications enterprise claiming to “introduce China to foreign countries.” The organization reportedly runs 20 overseas branches in countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, and Mexico, employing approximately 3,000 staff members, including about 100 foreign workers. CICG publishes over 3,000 book titles and around 50 journals annually in more than 10 languages, including notable periodicals like China Today (今日中國) and Beijing Review. As of September 2024, independent media researchers classified the organization as “State Controlled Media,” challenging its claims of editorial independence.

China Central Television (CCTV)

China Central Television or CCTV (中央電視台), established in 1958, is China’s national television broadcaster. Operated by the National Radio and Television Administration under the CCP’s Central Propaganda Department, with Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) as the current president. CCTV functions as a key player in state media, providing news, education, culture, and entertainment services. Headquartered in Beijing, it serves as a vital component of China’s propaganda network. It produces news broadcasts three times daily, with its flagship evening news program “CCTV Tonight” (新闻联播) reaching nearly 500 million viewers and requiring mandatory carriage by local stations.

Thansettakij

Thansettakij is a leading Thai economic newspaper that operates as a bi-weekly publication in traditional bulletin journal format, covering business news, politics, and economic analysis for diverse demographics across Thailand. The publication is part of Nation Multimedia Group (NMG), which confirmed that Thansettakij joined their media portfolio alongside other major Thai publications including Nation Thailand, Kom Chad Luek, and Krungthep Turakij. According to NMG’s 2019 business strategy announcement, Thansettakij was identified as a “soon-to-join family member” that would provide “in-depth data and analysis in their respective fields to specific groups of readers” as part of the group’s offline data strategy. The newspaper maintains both print and digital operations, with its website serving as what industry analysts describe as having “a very large online following.” Thansettakij has established itself as a credible source for Thai political and economic reporting, frequently cited by international news agencies including Bloomberg for its coverage of Thai government developments and business affairs. The publication focuses on comprehensive coverage including business editorial sections, social issues, HR topics, and international politics.

Sing Sian Yer Pao

The Sing Sian Yer Pao, also known as The Sing Sian Yer Pao Daily News, is a Chinese-language newspaper based in Bangkok, Thailand, founded on June 23, 1950. Originally published in traditional Chinese characters, it switched to simplified Chinese after 2010. In November 2013, the newspaper formed a partnership with China’s Southern Media Group. As of February 2016, the paper was priced at 5 baht in Bangkok and 6 baht elsewhere in Thailand. The newspaper operates from its headquarters on Silom Road in Bangkok’s Samphanthawong district, continuing its long tradition of serving Thailand’s Chinese-language readers.

Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group

Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao Wen Wei Po Media Group (香港大公文汇传媒集团) was established in January 2016, operating Ta Kung Pao (大公报), Hong Kong Wen Wei Po (香港文汇报), and multiple digital platforms as a Hong Kong-based, state-owned Chinese-language media conglomerate. Under the leadership of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the group upholds strong pro-China positions and often serves to attack critics in the territory, including scholars and democracy figures. Ta Kung Pao, founded June 17, 1902, in Tianjin, claims to be “the oldest existing Chinese newspaper.” Wen Wei Po was established in Shanghai in 1938 and resumed publication in Hong Kong on September 9, 1948, positioning itself as a “main channel” for Hong Kong residents to understand central government policies. The group operates news centers across mainland China and correspondent bureaus in multiple countries, describing its mission as “transmitting China’s voice” and supporting “One Country, Two Systems” implementation.

Africa Chinese Media Group

Africa Chinese Media Group, based in Botswana, southern Africa, is a subsidiary of Global Max Media Group (Pty) Ltd (環球廣域傳媒集團), a conglomerate with close links to the Chinese state. The group claims, alongside its parent, to be Africa’s media company with the “most platforms, languages, and broadest coverage” (媒體平台最多、語種最全、覆蓋面最廣的媒體公司), headquartered in Gaborone with three operational centers across the continent covering most African countries. The company positions itself as building “regional mainstream media” (區域性強力主流媒體) to “spread Chinese culture and enhance China’s overseas image” (傳播中國文化、提升中國在海外形象). Its operations span multilingual broadcasting, video production, digital media, print publications, advertising, public relations, and organizing large-scale cultural and charitable events, serving as a vehicle for Chinese soft power projection across Africa. Led by chairman Nan Gengxu (南庚戌), who advocates transitioning from serving Chinese communities to influencing African mainstream society and policymakers, the group publishes The Oriental Post (非洲華僑週報), a paper that was launched in July 2013 as the African weekly edition of the overseas edition of the CCP’s official People’s Daily newspaper.