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China-Arab TV

China-Arab TV is a Dubai-based Arabic satellite television network founded in 2014 by Chinese entrepreneurs Liu Haitao (刘海涛) and Liu Haijiang (刘海江) possibly with Emirati royal backing. Initially focused on promoting Chinese products in the Middle East, the network was acquired in 2016 by Hong Kong-listed V1 Group (now Crazy Sports) under CEO Zhang Lijun (张力军), who has extensive ties to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs through his role as chairman of the China APEC Development Council. Despite consistent financial losses, China-Arab TV maintains strategic partnerships with major Chinese state media organizations including China Media Group, CCTV, and Xinhua News Agency, positioning itself as a key platform for China’s external propaganda efforts in the Arab world. Investigations show that the media group has close ties to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

UAE Media Council

The UAE Media Council (UAEMC), established in February 2023 by federal decree under President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, serves as the Emirates’ primary media regulatory authority. The entity apparently supersedes the previous National Media Council, which changed in 2021. Chaired by Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, who also heads the National Media Office, the council coordinates federal and local media efforts while proposing legislation to regulate and license all media outlets, including those in free zones. Though its language is highly professionalized, including a stated “mission” and “vision,” the council plays a crucial role in the control of media and content. According to its About Us page, the council’s mandate includes “reviewing and approving media content for all that is printed, published and broadcast within the UAE, including those operating in free zones” and “registering and accrediting media professionals and correspondents of foreign media in the country” — raising questions about the extent of its oversight powers.

Government of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, formed in 1971 as a federation of seven emirates, operates under an authoritarian federal monarchy with limited democratic elements. The UAE’s federal structure includes a Supreme Council comprising the hereditary rulers of each emirate, a Council of Ministers, and a Federal National Council. The President, currently Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also serves as ruler of Abu Dhabi, while Dubai’s ruler serves as Vice-President and Prime Minister. The Federal National Council has only an “advisory role” with half its 40 members elected and half appointed, including a mandated 50 percent female representation since 2023 elections. Despite official claims that “every citizen has the opportunity to express their opinion frankly,” power remains concentrated among the ruling families, with no political parties permitted and civil liberties significantly restricted. Media development and regulation activities are handled by the UAE Media Council, which reviews and approves all content published or broadcast within the UAE and has cooperated at the state level with the People’s Republic of China.

Science and Technology Daily

Science and Technology Daily is the official newspaper of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, established in 1986 with its name calligraphed by Deng Xiaoping. Based in Beijing, it’s a state-run media outlet described by Chinese authorities as a “central mainstream media” tasked with “propaganda missions for the Party and the state in science and technology.” The publication claims to maintain 33 domestic bureaus and 14 international offices, positioning itself as a comprehensive media organization connecting domestic and international science communities. The paper gained historical significance as one of the few Chinese publications to cover the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. In 2021, it launched an English edition “dedicated to telling China’s science and technology innovation story to the world.”

Presidential Broadcast Service

The Presidential Broadcast Service, also known as the Bureau of Broadcast Services (PBS-BBS), traces its origins to a U.S. military radio station established during World War II by the U.S. Office of War Information. This 50-watt portable station, call sign KZSO, operated from inside a U.S. Navy submarine before accompanying soldiers from the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) during the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, held by the Japanese, in January 1945. After operating from makeshift Manila facilities, the station was renamed KZFM and transferred to Philippine government control in September 1946. It became DZFM in 1952 following international telecommunications protocols. The entity expanded in the 1960s with provincial stations in Baguio, Cebu, and Davao. Abolished during martial law in 1972, it was resurrected as the Bureau of Broadcast in 1973. After merging with the National Media Production Center under the Office of Media Affairs in 1980, the current Bureau of Broadcast Services structure emerged following the 1986 EDSA Revolution. It was renamed Presidential Broadcast Service in 2023.

China Newsweek

China Newsweek (中國新聞周刊), launched in January 2000, is a Beijing-based magazine published by China News Service (CNS). The publication produces editions in multiple languages including English, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and South Asian languages. CNS claimed the magazine has been “widely accepted by the mainstream society” due to what it called stories written with “keen, profound, incisive and original perspective.” The magazine gained some recognition in the 2000s for its professional reporting, including investigative coverage.

Nova Telecommunications and Media

Founded in 1995, Nova is Greece’s pioneering telecommunications and media company, introducing the country’s first internet, mobile telephony, and subscription television services. As a member of United Group, Southeast Europe’s largest telecommunications and media conglomerate, Nova emerged from the merger of Nova and Wind Hellas. The company serves approximately 5 million subscribers across subscription TV, broadband internet, mobile, and fixed telephony services. Leveraging its legacy of innovation and United Group’s international expertise and investment plans, Nova aims to “enhance daily life for Greek individuals and businesses while boosting their competitiveness within the European Union through comprehensive digital solutions”.

Propaganda Office of the Jinan Committee of the CCP

The Propaganda Office of the Jinan Committee of the CCP is the primary propaganda and media control organ at the city level in Jinan, overseeing ideological work, media supervision, and public communications. The department oversees all local broadcast, internet and print media, including the local CCP committee’s mouthpiece newspaper, Jinan Daily (濟南日報).

China International Youth Exchange Center

The China International Youth Exchange Center is a specialized agency under the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (共青團中央) established in 2004 through the merger of the China-Japan Youth Exchange Center (中日青年交流中心) founded in 1985 and China Youth International Talent Exchange Center (中國青年國際人才交流中心) founded in 1993. Located in Beijing’s Third Embassy District (第三使館區) at 40 Liangmaqiao Road, it comprises 20 departments across exchange, operations, functional, and support divisions. CIYEC facilities include the 21st Century Hotel (二十一世紀飯店), Century Theater (世紀劇院), international conference halls, educational research buildings, Silver Olive Swimming Pool (銀橄欖游泳館), tennis courts, and the 21st Century Tower. With approximately 400 staff members, CIYEC hosts about 100 foreign delegations annually, maintaining partnerships across continents in politics, economics, culture, education, science, environmental protection, and innovation sectors to foster mutual understanding among global youth.