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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia

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The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) (捷克和摩拉维亚共产党) is a communist party established on March 31, 1990, and headquartered in Prague that claims to represent communist ideology in the Czech Republic with a membership of 16,000 as of 2024. According to organizational listings, leadership has included Kateřina Konečná as chairwoman and Milan Krajča as deputy leader. The party positions itself as one of the few former ruling parties in post-Communist Central Eastern Europe to retain the Communist title in its name and describes its ideology as communism and anti-capitalism. The organization has engaged with various political coalitions, provided parliamentary support to Andrej Babiš’ Second Cabinet until April 2021, and published the newspaper Haló Noviny until 2013. The party claims to follow the slogan “With the people for the people” and maintains observer status with the Party of the European Left.

Chinese Ambassador Promotes Economic Cooperation in Finnish Media

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On February 11, 2021, Chinese Ambassador to Finland Chen Li (陈立) published an op-ed in Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat (赫尔辛基日报) titled “Join Hands to Meet Challenges and Promote Economic Recovery.” The ambassador claimed China achieved “positive growth of 2.3 percent” in 2020, positioning the country as “the only major economy to achieve positive growth” during the pandemic. Chen described China’s economy as demonstrating “strong resilience and vitality” and said the nation will “continue to deepen integration into the world economy.” The article promoted China’s post-pandemic economic policies and called for strengthening “practical cooperation” between China and Europe, employing standard PRC diplomatic terminology about “mutual benefit and win-win cooperation” (互利共赢) and emphasizing China’s role in global economic recovery.

Chinese Ambassador Marks Trade Anniversary in Finnish Media

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On June 5, 2023, Chinese Ambassador to Finland Wang Tongqing (王同庆) published an op-ed in Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat titled “Equality, Mutual Benefit, and Win-Win Cooperation” commemorating the 70th anniversary of the China-Finland trade agreement. The ambassador claimed the 1953 accord was “the first government trade agreement between New China and a Western country,” positioning it as establishing “equal and mutually beneficial” (平等互利) economic relations. Wang described current bilateral trade as “stable and positive” and called for deepening “practical cooperation” across sectors, employing standard PRC diplomatic terminology about “mutual benefit and win-win cooperation” (互利共赢).

Chinese Ambassador Criticizes US Trade Policy in Danish Media

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On April 29, 2025, Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) published an op-ed in Denmark’s Arbejderen (工人日報) titled “Tariff Blackmail Harms Others and Oneself, Open Cooperation is the Right Path.” The ambassador criticized US tariff policies as “economic bullying behavior” and claimed China would “resolutely oppose and fight to the end” against American trade measures. Wang positioned China as defending “international rules and multilateral trading systems” while describing US actions as “unilateral protectionism.” The article promoted China-Denmark economic cooperation, citing bilateral trade reaching “15.7 billion dollars in 2024, up 17 percent year-on-year,” and called for strengthening “communication and coordination” with the EU to achieve “mutual benefit and win-win cooperation” (互利共赢), employing standard PRC diplomatic terminology.

Republic of Maldives

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The Republic of Maldives is an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean comprising 26 atolls southwest of Sri Lanka and India. As the world’s lowest-lying country with an average elevation of just 1.5 meters above sea level, the Maldives faces significant environmental challenges from rising sea levels. The nation operates as a presidential republic established in 1968, with an elected People’s Majlis serving as its legislative body. Malé serves as the capital and most populous city. Since gaining independence from Britain in 1965, the country has experienced periods of political instability alongside efforts at democratic reform. Under President Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives has strengthened ties with China through the Belt and Road Initiative, borrowing $1.4 billion and shifting away from its traditional partnership with India. The Maldives maintains membership in various international organizations including the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, reflecting its active engagement in regional and global affairs despite being Asia’s smallest country by land area.

State Council Information Office

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The State Council Information Office (SCIO) is the external nameplate of the Central Propaganda Department (中共中央宣傳部) of the Chinese Communist Party. Established in January 1991, SCIO was created to improve China’s international image following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Until 2014, SCIO operated under the arrangement known as “one institution with two names” (一個機構兩塊牌子) alongside the Office of External Propaganda (OEP). In May 2014, the OEP was formally absorbed into the Central Propaganda Department, transforming SCIO into an external nameplate. SCIO’s functions include holding press conferences on major national policies, providing media materials to introduce China internationally, assisting foreign journalists covering China, and encouraging Chinese media to report on international news. While SCIO’s official description claims it “promotes communication, understanding and trust between China and countries across the world,” scholars describe it as the “public face” of China’s “foreign propaganda work.”

Kazakhstan President’s TV and Radio Complex

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The Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan operates as a state-controlled media entity established in December 1996 to serve as the official “information resource” documenting presidential activities. The organization claims to produce “targeted video products” including thematic documentaries and presentation videos, while maintaining personal video, audio and film archives of the president. Kazakhstan’s media environment remains dominated by state-owned and pro-government outlets, with most major media controlled directly or indirectly by the government, while pro-opposition publications have been closed or forced into exile, according to Reporters Without Borders.

China-Central Asia Media Forum Convenes in Kazakhstan

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On May 29, 2025, in Astana, Kazakhstan, China’s People’s Daily and the Kazakh Presidential Radio and Television Administration jointly hosted the 2025 China-Central Asia Media Cooperation Forum, with over 200 media representatives, officials, experts and business representatives attending from China and Central Asian countries. According to official coverage from Chinese state media, the forum prioritized “building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future” (中亚命运共同体), with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sending a congratulatory letter praising China’s Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路) as winning “wide recognition from the international community.” Chinese officials, including Hu Heping (胡和平) from the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP (中共中央宣传部), described the event as promoting “civilizational exchange” (文明交流互鉴) and fostering “people-to-people connectivity” (民心相通) through media cooperation. In its focus on bilateral exchange in line with Chinese foreign policy goals, the forum followed the pattern of such ostensibly media events, serving as a platform for Chinese agendas over professional media and journalism exchange.

People’s Daily Hosts Belt and Road Media Event in Kazakhstan

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On June 29, 2024, China’s official People’s Daily (人民日报) newspaper and Kazakh media organizations held a “High-Quality Belt and Road Joint Interview Results Sharing Conference” in Astana, Kazakhstan. The event was attended by Kazakh Parliament Upper House members Galiyaska Sarebayev and Alisher Satvardiyev, with media participants including People’s Daily Deputy Editor-in-Chief Xu Lijing (徐立京) and Zihan Kamzabekulei, the general manager of the Kazakhstan Truth newspaper group. According to official Chinese media coverage, the participants claimed the joint initiative would help media “play a bridge role” and “tell the Silk Road story well” — an echo of Xi Jinping’s policy on the conduct of external propaganda (外宣). Another theme of the event was advancing “high-quality Belt and Road construction” (高质量共建”一带一路”) between China and Kazakhstan.