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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Fairfax Media Group

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Fairfax Media was a major Australian media conglomerate that operated newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and digital properties across Australia and New Zealand from 1841 until its acquisition by Nine Entertainment Co. in December 2018. Founded when John Fairfax purchased The Sydney Morning Herald, the company expanded to control flagship publications including The Age and The Australian Financial Review. Despite its historical significance in Australian journalism, Fairfax faced mounting financial pressures in the digital era, implementing widespread staff cuts and transitioning to paywalls before ultimately losing its independence. The company’s willingness to engage in media partnerships with Chinese state entities, including signing cooperation agreements with China Daily and China Radio International in 2016, reflected broader industry trends of seeking revenue streams amid declining traditional media revenues.

Cameroon Media Delegation Visits China

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A nine-person delegation of Cameroon’s mainstream media executives visited Beijing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou from July 2-10, 2017, at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (中國人民外交學會). The delegation was led by Marie Claire Nana, general manager of SOPECAM and publisher of Cameroon Tribune, and included representatives from Cameroon National Radio and Television, Canal 2 Television, Action newspaper, and the Economic Daily. During their visit, the delegation met with officials from China’s Foreign Ministry, Xinhua News Agency, and various provincial authorities, as well as visited organizations including the Phoenix International Media Center (鳳凰國際傳媒中心). The visit facilitated exchanges on China-Cameroon relations, media cooperation, and China’s development initiatives.

Cameroon National Radio and Television

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Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), established in 1987, is Cameroon’s government-controlled national broadcasting service. The company resulted from the merger of Cameroon Television (CTV) and the national radio service, with broadcasting roots dating back to 1940 when French authorities established Radio Douala. Today, CRTV maintains comprehensive coverage across all ten regions of Cameroon through one national radio channel, ten regional stations, seven local stations, and three television channels, including CRTV News and CRTV Sports & Entertainment. Under General Manager Charles Ndongo since 2016, the broadcaster operates primarily in French with some English programming, reflecting the country’s bilingual status. As a state-controlled broadcaster, CRTV operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication, with the President of the Republic appointing both the General Director and Board Chairperson, firmly anchoring the organization within the state apparatus with limited editorial autonomy.

Canal 2 International

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Canal 2 International is Cameroon’s first private television channel, initially launched in 2001 and rebranded under its current name in 2004. Based in Douala’s Akwa district, the network is owned by Emmanuel Chatue’s TV+ Group. Initially broadcasting primarily music content until its temporary closure in 2003, Canal 2 evolved into a general-interest station focused on continuous news coverage, entertainment, and sports, broadcasting in both French and English. The channel gained prominence through its production of situation comedies and image-based news broadcasts, and has expanded its programming to include numerous drama series such as “Tourbillon de Passions,” “El Diablo,” and “Avenida Brasil.” In 2020, Canal 2 made history by hosting the first live televised press conference for a Cameroonian artist, when Josco L’inquiéteur’s single “Les Histoires de Sangmelima” was unveiled. The channel is owned by telecommunications engineer Emmanuel Chatue, who started as a cable distributor in Douala before launching his television venture.

Nokorwat News Daily

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Nokorwat News Daily is a privately owned Cambodian newspaper founded in 2010 by General Kun Kim, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, and Director Touch Kong Kea. The publication claims to print 50,000 copies daily six days a week, with 1,300 copies reportedly distributed free of charge to government offices and coffee shops in Phnom Penh. The newspaper covers a broad range of topics from sports to international news and maintains a national reach despite holding only a 2% audience share. Its digital presence allegedly attracts 20,000-25,000 daily visitors “according to the publication’s own figures.” The newspaper gained attention in 2011 when it filed a criminal infringement lawsuit against Soy Sopheap, founder of DAP Media Center, alleging tampering with correspondence.

Cambodia-China Journalists Association

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Launched in Phnom Penh in May 2019, the Cambodia-China Journalist Association is part of Beijing’s broader media engagement across Southeast Asia. Co-presidents Soy Sopheap (Cambodia) and Liu Xiao Guang (刘晓光) (China) established the organization to “promote friendship and cooperation,” though the association’s stated objectives raise questions about its journalistic independence. Chinese embassy political counselor Zuo Wenxing (左文星) framed the CCJA’s role as promoting “positive news” about both countries while “fighting against fake news”—language that aligns with China’s approach to media narratives. The association pledges to “professionally disseminate factual information about Chinese investments in Cambodia,” suggesting its function may lean toward advocacy rather than independent reporting.

Daily Star Joins PRC Poverty Reduction Symposium

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On April 6, 2010, Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper, participated in a symposium at the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (中國國際扶貧中心), where he discussed China-Bangladesh cooperation and shared insights on his country’s development experience. The International Poverty Reduction Center was established jointly by the Chinese government, United Nations Development Programme and other international organizations in May 2005, and operates as a direct subsidiary of what was then China’s State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, now reorganized under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. During the session, moderated by Chief Technical Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, Anam highlighted Bangladesh’s progress in areas including democracy building, economic growth, and women’s rights, while discussing China’s role in regional infrastructure and poverty reduction cooperation. Anam, who continues to serve as editor of Bangladesh’s largest English-language newspaper and previously worked for UNESCO as a media expert, emphasized what he described as China’s commitment to peaceful development and suggested increased Chinese participation in South Asian regional forums. The Daily Star, founded in 1991 during Bangladesh’s return to democracy, has gained recognition as an influential English-language publication in the country.

Liberia Broadcasting System and China Media Group Sign Partnership Agreement

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The Liberia Broadcasting System and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a two-year partnership agreement on August 5, 2024, aimed at strengthening media cooperation between China and Liberia. The memorandum of understanding establishes frameworks for content exchange, technical cooperation, and personnel training. LBS Director General Eugene Fahngon emphasized the agreement’s role in boosting “mutual benefit between the two peoples,” while China Media Group Africa Bureau Chief Song Jianing expressed confidence in scaling their collaboration to “new heights.” China Media Group is a state-controlled broadcast group formed in 2018 through the merger of China Central Television, China National Radio, and China Radio International, while LBS is Liberia’s state-owned broadcaster that has previously received significant Chinese technical assistance, including a 10 kW FM transmitter installed by China in 2008.

China Media Group Holds HI CHINA Event in Kuala Lumpur

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In August 2024, the “HI CHINA – Discovering China Opportunities – Celebrating 50 Years of China-Malaysia Relationship” event was held at Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur, commemorating five decades of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. Organized by China Media Group (中央广播电视总台) and supported by China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (CECCM), the cultural exchange celebration featured speeches by Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia, and Shi Le (施乐), Director of the Sinhala Department of CMG’s Asian and African Languages Programming Centre. CECCM President Ni Qingjiu (倪庆久) participated as a distinguished guest in the opening ceremony. The event included booths showcasing Chinese cultural exchanges, which organizers said “deepened cultural interactions with the Malaysia public” and highlighted collaborative spirit between the two nations whose diplomatic relations were established on May 31, 1974.