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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Government of the Czech Republic

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The Government of the Czech Republic (Vláda České republiky) is the supreme body of executive power, established by the 1993 Constitution. It is a collective decision-making body comprising the Prime Minister, who serves as the head of government, alongside Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers. The President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister and, upon their proposal, the rest of the cabinet. A fundamental tenet of the Czech parliamentary system is the government’s collective accountability to the Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecká sněmovna); it must secure a formal vote of confidence within thirty days of appointment and can be dismissed through a vote of no confidence. Operating from the Straka Academy in Prague, the government manages the state administration and proposes the national budget. Historically, the government’s stance on China has “oscillated” between values-based criticism and economic pragmatism. Following a period of high-level engagement and “strategic partnership” (戰略合作關係) under the Zeman administration (2013–2021), subsequent cabinets have pivoted toward “de-risking” (去风险), prioritizing security and cooperation with Taiwan while labeling China a “systemic challenge” (系統性挑戰).

RTHK Signs Cooperation Deal With Guangzhou TV

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On June 13, 2025, Hong Kong Director of Broadcasting Kwan Yuen-yee (關婉儀) and the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network (廣州廣播電視台), or GZBN, signed a memorandum of cooperation to deepen regional media integration. The partnership includes joint productions commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II (抗戰勝利80周年) — a core propaganda theme for China in 2025 — and the first-ever co-produced radio drama focusing on life in the Greater Bay Area (粵港澳大灣區), or “GBA”—the development region that is a key point of plans by China’s CCP leadership for greater integration between Hong Kong and the mainland. Kwan stated that RTHK will leverage its role in “linking the interior and connecting the exterior” (內聯外通) to foster a stronger sense of national identity (國民身份認同) among Hong Kong citizens, an idea closely associated with indoctrination in China’s CCP-led political system, including the study of “Xi Jinping Thought.”

Guangzhou Broadcasting Network

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Established in 2010 through the merger of local radio and television entities, the Guangzhou Broadcasting Network, or GZBN (廣州廣播電視台), operates major channels such as GZBN Comprehensive and News, alongside the Nanguo City 4K (南國都市4K) channel — which the network claims was the first 4K station at a municipal level in China. As a municipally-owned institution (事业单位) under the direct leadership of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP) and the Guangzhou Municipal Government, GZBN serves as the state-run municipal broadcasting outlet for the southern city of Guangzhou. Headquartered at the Guangzhou International Media Port (廣州國際媒體港), GZBN led a transition toward high-definition broadcasting by becoming the nation’s first institution to completely phase out standard-definition channels. 

The Wall Street Journal Runs China Daily Supplement

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Beginning in November 2016, The Wall Street Journal regularly ran the “China Watch” printed insert of China’s government-run China Daily in the pages of its newspaper, accepting advertising payments from China Daily USA in return. The paid supplements were designed to look like news articles, but were vehicles for pro-China propaganda. According to filings by China Daily with the US Justice Department, the The Wall Street Journal accepted 6 million dollars for the inserts between 2016 and April 2020.

China-Iraq Short Video Competition Held

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On January 19, the third annual China-Iraq Short Video Competition held its awards ceremony online. The competition was organized by China National Petroleum Corporation (中國石油天然氣集團公司) Middle East Company alongside Dubai’s China-Arab TV and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Iraq. Reports from official state media said the competition, now in its third year, received 389 entries from “Chinese enterprises, young students, and university scholars” in Iraq under the theme “Light of Two Rivers: Seeing Each Other, Illuminating the World.” Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Cui Wei (崔巍), who was appointed in 2022, attended. The grand prize reportedly went to “I Study Chinese in Iraq,” documenting Iraqi students learning Chinese at Salahaddin University’s Chinese language department, which opened in 2019, and their emotional farewell to departing teacher Hu Zhiwei (胡志偉).

Zhejiang Province and Portugal’s RTP Sign Film Cooperation Agreement

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On October 11, 2024, officials from Zhejiang Province and Portugal’s public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) reported signing a cooperation agreement on film and television at RTP headquarters in Lisbon. Zhao Cheng (趙承), a member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and head of the province’s propaganda office, attended alongside Nicolau Santos, who was appointed as RTP’s president in 2021. The agreement was characterized as strengthening cultural ties and expanding the international reach of content to European audiences, according to promotional material. Chen Guangsheng, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, also attended the ceremony.

Ningbo Photography Exhibition Held in Spain

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On September 26, 2025, the “Ningbo Through the Lens” (光影裡的寧波) photography exhibition opened at the China Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain. The photo exhibition was organized by the Ningbo International Communication Center (寧波市對外傳播中心) and China International Publishing Group’s Central and Eastern Europe and Central and South Asia Communication Center (中東歐與中南亞傳播中心). The Ningbo ICC is a city-level body under the local propaganda office and state-run media groups charged with shaping international narratives about Ningbo and China. CICG is a publishing and communication group directly under the Central Propaganda Department. Marcel Leijzer, deputy director of the UN World Tourism Organization’s International Development and Cooperation Department, attended alongside Chinese and Spanish officials. According to Chinese media reports, the exhibition is part of efforts to implement the Action Plan for Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Spain (2025-2028), which was signed during Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit to Beijing in April 2025. The plan outlines cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, technology, and cultural exchanges. The photo exhibition focused on Ningbo’s maritime history and cultural exchanges, and was organized into four themed sections, each with bilingual captions.

Ningbo Radio and Television Group (NBGD)

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The Ningbo Radio and Television Group (寧波廣播電視集團) was established on March 28, 2003, as a directly affiliated unit of the Ningbo Municipal Government. The media group operates radio and television stations, manages program transmission and coverage networks, and conducts advertising and other business operations. The group produces news, cultural programming, and service content across traditional broadcasting platforms and digital media channels. According to its official website, the organization’s stated mission is to “publicize the Party’s line, principles, and policies” and “serve the overall work of the Party and government” (宣傳黨的路線、方針、政策;為黨和政府工作大局服務), reflecting its role as a state media outlet responsible for propagating official messaging.

Ningbo Daily Press Group

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The Ningbo Daily Press Group (寧波日報報業集團) was established in June 2002 with approval from the State Press and Publication Administration, becoming one of China’s first 39 authorized newspaper groups in a wave of industry restructuring of the media. As a bureau-level institution directly subordinate to the Ningbo Municipal CCP Committee, the group emphasizes that it operates under “enterprise management” — meaning that it runs as a profit-making business — while remaining firmly under Party control and “guidance.” The group owns three newspapers, including the Ningbo Daily (寧波日報), the official mouthpiece of the local Party leadership, as well as three periodicals and magazines. Beyond print media, it operates China Ningbo Net (中國寧波網), a government news portal. The group also operates businesses in printing, advertising, AI, big data, and publishing.