Skip to main content

Current Status: Active

Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism of Vietnam

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Bộ Văn hóa, Thể thao và Du lịch) is a Vietnamese government ministry responsible for state administration of culture, family affairs, sports, and tourism nationwide. The ministry was established in 2007 through the merger of the Committee of Physical Training and Sports, General Department of Tourism, and culture sections from the Ministry of Culture and Information, and oversees numerous agencies including the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Sports Authority of Vietnam, and agencies for fine arts, cultural heritage, cinema, and performing arts, managing public services across these sectors throughout Vietnam.

Atameken Business Channel

Atameken Business Channel is Kazakhstan’s first multimedia business news channel, providing comprehensive coverage of financial, economic and political developments. The channel offers news analysis, market ratings, economic projections, exchange rates, securities markets, precious metals pricing, commodity resources, banking news, stock exchange updates, and corporate information. As a specialized business media outlet, Atameken serves as a key source for economic intelligence and market data in Kazakhstan’s rapidly developing economy.

Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance

The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامی) is an Iranian government ministry formed in 1984 through the merger of the Ministry of Culture and Art with the Ministry of Information and Tourism. The ministry regulates media access, enforces internet censorship, and manages cultural content deemed to violate Iranian ethics or promote foreign values. It oversees licensing for import and export of films, books, audio recordings, visual art, and printed materials, while also managing the alignment of religion with state law. Employing over 12,700 staff, the ministry serves as one of Iran’s three “sovereign” ministerial departments, operating independently from external audit and playing a crucial role in controlling information flow and cultural expression within the Islamic Republic.

National Development and Reform Commission

The National Development and Reform Commission (國家發展和改革委員會) is the third-ranked executive department of China’s State Council, functioning as the country’s main macroeconomic control institution. Established in November 1952 as the State Planning Commission and modeled after the Soviet Gosplan, the NDRC has broad administrative and planning control over China’s economy, earning the reputation of being a “mini-state council.” The commission oversees China’s five-year plans, manages major infrastructure projects, and coordinates economic policies including foreign investment restrictions and the Social Credit System. NDRC co-organizes major government initiatives like the World Artificial Intelligence Conference alongside multiple Chinese ministries, serving as a central instrument for implementing the Chinese Communist Party’s economic development strategies and maintaining state control over China’s economic planning and development.

Global Max Media Group

Linked to the Chinese state and key to its outreach and propaganda efforts on the African continent, Global Max Media Group (Pty) Ltd (環球廣域傳媒集團) describes itself as Africa’s most comprehensive media company with the “most platforms, languages, and coverage,” headquartered in Botswana with operational centers in South Africa, Tanzania, and Nigeria. The company, launched in 2012, claims over 300 staff across Africa and China, operating in broadcasting, film production, digital media, print, and event organization. The group emphasizes its “close ties” (密切聯繫) with Chinese embassies across Africa and African embassies in China to “promote China-Africa friendship and spread Chinese culture and China’s voice” (促進中非友好和中國文化、中國聲音的傳播). It organizes cultural events like “Chinese New Year in Tanzania” (坦桑過大年) and works with Confucius Institutes on “Chinese Bridge” (漢語橋) language competitions. While positioning itself as serving local communities through charity work, the group’s stated mission of spreading “China’s voice” and extensive diplomatic connections suggest its role as a vehicle for Chinese soft power projection across the African continent. The group maintains active Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. It claims elsewhere to be the “largest Chinese media group in Africa,” with “nearly 10 media platforms of more than 8 languages in the African region.”

Colombian Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies

Colombia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC), established in 2009 from the former Ministry of Communications, leads public initiatives to boost ICT investment and drive digital transformation across the nation. The ministry focuses on closing the digital divide, strengthening citizens’ digital skills across diverse regions, and establishing sustainable public-private partnerships. MinTIC oversees telecommunications and broadcasting industries while promoting technology adoption throughout all sectors of society, with headquarters in the Edificio Murillo Toro in Bogotá. Its mission centers on positioning Colombia as a Latin American digital leader where all citizens have quality, secure connectivity through policies that support innovation and comprehensive ICT sector development.

Radio Television Senegalaise

Radio Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS) is Senegal’s principal public media organization, operating five television channels (RTS1-RTS5) and nine radio stations covering national, international, and regional audiences. RTS was established under Law No. 92-02 of 1992, replacing the former state broadcaster ORTS, which had operated since 1973. The broadcaster operates under the Ministry of Culture and Communication, with governance resting with a 12-member Management Council representing various government ministries. The Director General is appointed by the President of Senegal. Pape Alé Niang became Director General on April 24, 2024, replacing Racine Talla. RTS receives funding through license fees collected via electricity bills, state subsidies, and advertising revenues, with an estimated annual budget of XOF 11.3 billion (approximately US$20.8 million). The broadcaster’s editorial stance reflects its close government relationship, with no formal legal framework guaranteeing editorial independence.

All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots

Formed in Beijing on December 22, 1981, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots (中華全國台灣同胞聯誼會), or ACFTC, is identified in official Chinese sources as “a bridge and belt for the CCP and the government in connecting with Taiwanese brethren.” While this clearly demonstrates the organization’s semi-official status and its leadership under the Party, the group is referred to as a “people’s organization” (民眾團體) — somewhat disguising its role as a Party-state vehicle for influencing Taiwan. Since 2017, the ACFTC has assumed a more proactive role in directing influence activities toward Taiwanese. As of August 2025, the chair of the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots is Zheng Jianmin (郑建闽), serving since 2022, who is the former vice-governor of Fujian province and a member of the CPPCC. 

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the country’s national news agency, was launched on January 1, 1972. The Dhaka bureau of the Associated Press of Pakistan was turned into the national news agency of the new country following the Bangladesh Liberation War. Beginning with a small staff in the head office in Dhaka and a bureau in Chittagong, BSS now has bureaus in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Bagura, Khulna, Barishal, Rangamati, and Sylhet, with correspondents in all 64 administrative districts. The agency functions almost around the clock to disseminate national, international, political, economic, development, and other news to nearly 50 subscribers across the country. BSS subscribes to international wire services AFP and exchanges news with Press Trust of India, Associated Press of Pakistan, Xinhua, Bernama of Malaysia, and TransData of Australia, and introduced a Bangla news service in 1999.