Skip to main content

Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

United News of Bangladesh

Written by Editors on .

United News of Bangladesh (UNB) is Bangladesh’s first fully digitalized private wire service, founded in 1988 as one of the first news agencies in South Asia. The organization claims to maintain correspondent networks across all 64 districts of Bangladesh and says it serves “over 20 million readers” locally and internationally through its principal partnership with Associated Press (AP), the world’s largest wire service. Originally serving print media subscribers, UNB has adapted to digital transformation by launching its interactive website unb.com.bd, which aggregates both domestic news from its extensive Bangladesh network and international content through its AP partnership. The agency describes itself as Bangladesh’s “most dependable and credible source of news and information,” evolving from traditional print distribution to embrace mobile and internet platforms as electronic media revolutionizes news creation and distribution in an increasingly paperless media environment.

Government of Papua New Guinea

Written by Editors on .

Papua New Guinea operates as a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth realm, with the British monarch serving as head of state through a governor-general who uniquely gains appointment via parliamentary election rather than direct royal selection. The prime minister leads the government from Port Moresby, chosen by the 111-member National Parliament following general elections held every five years. The legislature comprises 89 single-member constituencies and 22 provincial representatives who simultaneously serve as regional governors, reflecting the nation’s decentralized structure across 22 province-level divisions, including the autonomous Bougainville region. A constitutional judiciary operates through tiered courts, while coalition politics and frequent party-switching characterize the volatile political landscape that has produced numerous government changes since independence in 1975. Freedom House rates the country “partly free” due to electoral irregularities and media constraints affecting press freedom.

Chinese Ambassador Featured in Bengali Newspaper

Written by Editors on .

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang (馬明強) gave a joint media interview published on the front page of one of Bangladesh’s largest Bengali-language newspapers Prothom Alo (প্রথম আলো) on October 1, 2017. The interview covered China-Bangladesh relations following President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) October 2016 state visit, which Ma described as “historic”. During the visit, both countries elevated ties to strategic partnership status and signed over 20 cooperation agreements covering energy, power, maritime affairs, security, and climate change. Ma claimed the visit “brought over 400 million US dollars in investment” and that “Bangladesh will board the express train of China’s economic development.” He outlined cooperation progress under the Belt and Road Initiative, including the China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge No. 8 (中孟友誼八橋), Payra coal-fired power plant (帕亞拉燃煤電站), and Chittagong Chinese Industrial Park (吉大港中國工業園區). Ma emphasized China’s role as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner, though he incorrectly stated bilateral trade reached $79.8 billion in the first half of 2017—actual full-year 2017 trade was approximately $12 billion. The interview highlighted expanding people-to-people exchanges, including over 1,000 Chinese scholarships for Bangladeshi students and the establishment of a second Confucius Institute at Dhaka University (達卡大學).

Prothom Alo

Written by Editors on .

Prothom Alo is Bangladesh’s largest-circulation Bengali-language daily newspaper, founded November 4, 1998, and published from Dhaka by Transcom Group’s Mediastar Ltd. The newspaper claims daily readership of 6.6 million for its print edition and 7.6 million across all platforms, with its online portal described on its X profile as “the most visited Bengali website in the world.” Prothom Alo has distinguished itself through investigative reporting on acid attacks, violence against women, and campaigns against drugs and religious terrorism. The publication has faced government pressure, including the 2021 detention of senior reporter Rozina Islam under the Official Secrets Act and a 2007 cartoon controversy that resulted in a supplement ban. Sister concerns include ABC Radio FM 89.2, Prothoma Prokashon publishing house, and several magazines covering science, politics, and youth topics. The newspaper organizes Bangladesh’s Mathematics Olympiad and won the 2025 “Best in South Asia” award from the International News Media Association.

CNS Signs Cooperation Deal in Bangladesh

Written by Editors on .

On December 9, 2015, China News Service (中國新聞社) Deputy Director and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Xia Chunping (夏春平) signed a cooperation memorandum with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (孟加拉國國家通訊社) Editor-in-Chief Abul Kalam Azad in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital. The agreement outlined collaboration in news exchange, joint interviews, training programs, and joint promotion of Bridge Era: China Newsweek South Asia Edition (橋時代——中國新聞周刊南亞版) in Bangladesh. Xia stated the partnership would “strengthen interconnection” between Chinese and Bangladeshi media under the Belt and Road Initiative framework. Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha officials expressed hope the cooperation would “deepen mutual understanding” between the two countries’ peoples. During the visit, Xia’s delegation also met with Bangladesh Press Association Secretary General Quamrul Islam Chowdhury, reaching a consensus on enhanced media cooperation.

The Daily Star

Written by Editors on .

The Daily Star is Bangladesh’s largest circulating English-language daily newspaper, founded by Syed Mohammad Ali on January 14, 1991, as the country transitioned to parliamentary democracy. As of 2025, Mahfuz Anam served as editor and publisher, with the newspaper owned by Mediaworld Limited, where Transcom Group holds major shares. The BBC described it as having a “reputation for journalistic integrity and liberal and progressive views – a kind of Bangladeshi New York Times.” The publication gained popularity for outspoken coverage of politics, corruption, and foreign policy. The newspaper has faced government pressure, including suspended advertisements in 2015 and website blocking in 2018 after reporting an extrajudicial killing. Controversies include Anam’s 2016 admission on ATN News of publishing military intelligence-fed stories during 2007-2008 and Executive Editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque’s February 2024 jailing on child abuse charges following domestic worker Preeti Urang’s death.

CUC Hosts China-India Youth Roundtable

Written by Editors on .

A China-India Youth Roundtable commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations was held at Communication University of China (中國傳媒大學) on March 26, 2025, organized by the All-China Youth Federation (中華全國青年聯合會). The event, themed “Youth Working Together to Build a Healthy China-India Partnership” (青年携手共筑健康发展的中印伙伴关系), brought together approximately 70 participants, including Indian youth leaders and Chinese academics. CUC Vice President Yang Yi (楊懿) claimed the university has “pioneered” Indian language programs since the 1960s, with graduates becoming “cultural ambassadors” (文化使者). All-China Youth Federation Deputy Secretary-General Dong Xia (董霞) said the “dragon-elephant dance” (龍象共舞) between these major Global South nations would “inject momentum” into regional stability. Indian delegation leader Anuja Yadav stated both populous nations carry a “historic mission” to shape 21st-century global leadership through friendship and cooperation.

Athens Macedonian News Agency

Written by Editors on .

The Athens-Macedonian News Agency or AMNA (Αθηναϊκό – Μακεδονικό πρακτορείο ειδήσεων) is Greece’s national news agency, operating as a public entity. Founded in 2008 through the merger of the Athens News Agency and Macedonian Press Agency, AMNA has roots extending back over a century. The Athens News Agency originated as the private Stefanopoli Telegraphic Agency in 1895, with the Greek state assuming its subsidization in 1905, when it acquired its present name under first director Ioannis Parren. The Macedonian Press Agency was founded in Thessaloniki by the state in 1991. The agency is governed by a nine-member board including representatives from journalists’ unions, newspaper owners, universities, and staff. AMNA operates news desks in Brussels, Nicosia, and Berlin, with correspondents across major international cities, serving media outlets in Greece, Cyprus, and the Greek diaspora while collaborating with major international news agencies, including Reuters, AP, and AFP.

Xinhua and Athens Macedonian News Agency Sign Cooperation

Written by Editors on .

On July 4, 2016, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency and Greece’s Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) signed a cooperation agreement in Athens during a ceremony at the General Secretariat for Information and Communication. Xinhua editor-in-chief He Ping (何平) and AMNA President Michalis Psilos participated in the signing, with Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zou Xiaoli present. According to Xinhua’s account, the two officials later met in Beijing in July 2016, where He Ping suggested they “strengthen cooperation in areas including information, resources, and personnel exchanges” to “help deepen the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership.” Psilos called the agreement “a strategic milestone” and expressed hope that it would “enable more Greek people to know about China via the state-run media.”