Chinese and Portuguese Media Hold Seminar to Facilitate Cooperation

On November 26, 2018, a seminar was held in Portugal’s capital of Lisbon drawing Chinese and Portuguese government officials together with media representatives from China, Portugal, and other Portuguese-speaking countries — including Brazil and Angola. The seminar, called the “Dialogue of Media Cooperation Between China and Portugal,” called for deepening cooperation and joint reporting of stories between the two countries, emphasizing the role of media in fostering stronger bilateral relations. In his speech to the event, Wang Xiaohui (王晓晖), executive deputy head of the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP, highlighted a long history of media cooperation between Portugal and China, including cooperation between China Radio International and Portugal’s Iris FM, as well as the “Belt and Road” Portuguese-language Media Alliance. The latter was founded in 2017 to enhance bilateral media exchanges, share news content, and improve mutual understanding and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, according to a read-out from the State Council Information Office (Central Propaganda Department). The event was held before President Xi Jinping visited Portugal in early December 2018, which resulted in 17 agreements on cooperation in various sectors, including in the media sector. CMG and Portugal also signed a cooperation agreement during Xi’s visit.