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All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Jinan Overseas International Communication Center Opens in Paris

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The Jinan Overseas International Communication Center (濟南海外國際傳播中心) was inaugurated in Paris on November 26, 2024, alongside a cultural exhibition celebrating the city’s spring water heritage. Tang Ji (唐霽), Deputy Director of Xinhua News Agency Paris Branch (新華社巴黎分社副社長), and Sun Shihui (孫世會), Deputy Director of the Jinan Propaganda Office, presided over the ceremony with French officials. The center claimed it would “tell Jinan’s story to the world and showcase the unique charm of spring culture” (向世界講述濟南故事，展示泉水文化的獨特魅力), according to coverage by Jinan Daily News Group. Three French representatives were appointed as “Spring City Recommenders” including France-China Friendship Association vice-chair Liyakid Ben Ami, “My French Friends” association president Mai Sui, and Beatrice de Focko, former global communications director at BNP Paribas (法國巴黎銀行). Sophie Mette, a French National Assembly member representing Gironde, stated that the exhibition would deepen understanding of Jinan’s culture among French citizens. Officials said the center would serve as a platform for deepening cultural exchanges between China and France.

CMG Signs MOU with Brazilian Culture Ministry

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On November 18, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Brazil’s Ministry of Culture in Rio de Janeiro. The agreement was signed by CMG President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) and Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, establishing cooperation in audiovisual production, cultural heritage promotion, and technical exchanges. The signing took place amid what Shen described as a “new golden 50 years” of China-Brazil diplomatic relations under the leadership of Presidents Xi Jinping and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The collaboration will focus on film market development, media co-production, cultural heritage preservation, and tourism promotion to strengthen people-to-people connections between the nations. Menezes, who became Brazil’s first Black woman Culture Minister in 2023, emphasized the partnership’s importance for “Global South” nations pursuing mutual understanding and development.

CMG Signs Deal With Greek Media at Bilateral Dialogue

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On October 30, 2023, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) hosted a “China-Greece Belt and Road Dialogue” (中國希臘”一帶一路”對話會) in Athens. The event was attended by former Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who served as president from 2015 to 2020, China Media Group President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), who has headed the umbrella state media organization since 2018, Greek Tourism Minister Vasilis Kikilias, who served in that role from August 2021 to March 2023, and Chinese Ambassador to Greece Xiao Junzheng (肖軍正). During the event, CMG signed a cooperation memorandum with Greece’s largest financial media outlet, Shipping and Business News (航運與商業報), covering international news reporting and financial content collaboration. CMG also exchanged an agreement with the Greek satellite platform NOVA to broadcast CGTN English and Documentary channels in Greece. Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni (麗娜·門佐尼) announced plans for a comprehensive cooperation memorandum with CMG covering multiple joint cultural projects.

8th World Artificial Intelligence Conference

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The 8th World Artificial Intelligence Conference (世界人工智能大会), or WAIC, was held in Shanghai from July 28 to July 30, 2025, with participation from representatives from more than 40 countries — as China pressed to position itself as a global leader on AI development and governance. WAIC is an annual Shanghai-based event that bills itself as “one of the most influential AI events within the global tech, science, and industry ecosystem.” Launched in 2018 and hosted by several Chinese government ministries and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government (上海市人民政府), with Donghao Lansheng Group (东浩兰生集团) as executive organizer, WAIC has convened for seven consecutive years, featuring scientists, entrepreneurs, government officials, and investors. Donghao Lansheng Group is a state-owned enterprise based in Shanghai, whose sole shareholder is the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (上海市国有资产监督管理委员会). Co-organizing ministries include the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展和改革委员会), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), the Ministry of Science and Technology (科学技术部), the State Internet Information Office (国家互联网信息办公室), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院), and the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (中国科学技术协会). The 2025 edition, held July 26-28 under the theme “Global Solidarity in the AI Era,” attracted over 800 companies and featured more than 3,000 exhibits — and was heavily billed by state media as a sign of China’s global leadership on AI safety and other key emerging global issues in the field. Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李强) used the platform to propose a global AI governance framework, while CNN reported the conference showcased China’s technological capabilities amid ongoing US-China AI competition, with demonstrations including “mahjong-playing humanoid” robots and boxing robots that “quickly caught the attention of visitors.”

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

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The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工業和信息化部) is a cabinet-level executive department of China’s State Council, established in 2008 to supersede the Ministry of Information Industry. MIIT oversees regulation and development of telecommunications, internet, broadcasting, electronics, software industry, and industrial policy. The ministry plays a central role in China’s technological governance, including an active role in implementing technical aspects of internet censorship including the approval since 2023 of all mobile apps distributed in the country. The ministry also manages radio spectrum allocation. MIIT spearheaded the “Made in China 2025” industrial plan and co-organizes major government initiatives like the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, functioning as a key instrument for advancing state priorities in technology and industrial development while maintaining strict control over China’s digital infrastructure.

Chinese Academy of Engineering

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The Chinese Academy of Engineering (中國工程院) is China’s national academy for engineering, established in 1994 as an institution under the State Council. With 920 Chinese members and 93 foreign members across nine divisions, CAE claims to be “the highest honorary and advisory academic institution in the nation’s fields of engineering sciences and technology.” The academy describes its mission as providing consultation for national decision-making and building a “top think-tank” that is “reliable for the nation.” Like its counterpart, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAE functions primarily as a state-directed advisory body advancing government priorities in engineering and technology development, while co-organizing major government initiatives alongside multiple Chinese ministries.

ACJA Hosts Tibet Media Exchange in Lhasa

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On July 22, 2025, the All-China Journalists Association’s (中国记协) Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Department organized an exchange event in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa between overseas Chinese-language media and Tibetan media outlets, bringing together 30 representatives from Chinese-language media organizations across 18 countries and five continents who toured facilities at the official Tibet Daily (西藏日报), the paper under the local committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Tibet Broadcasting and Television Station (西藏广播电视台), the state-run broadcaster in the region. Also attending were government-run multimedia centers and representatives from the Tibet International Communication Center (西藏国际传播中心), an ICC created to conduct external propaganda for the Tibetan CCP leadership. Among the foreign media taking part in the event were Cambodia’s Jian Hua Daily (柬华日报), Japan’s Chubun (中文导报), Canada’s Seven Days Media (七天傳媒), Australia’s AUS-China TV Media (澳视传媒), Fiji Daily (斐济日报), New Zealand’s Home Voice Chinese News (乡音报), Portugal’s Europe Weekly (葡华报), and the Central and Eastern Europe edition of the European Times (欧洲时报中东欧版), which is produced from the outlet’s offices in Austria. The event was aimed at advancing media transformation, strengthening international cooperation, and collectively “telling Tibet’s story in the new era” (讲好新时代中国西藏故事) — agendas echoing the official narratives of the CCP leadership.

Propaganda Office of the CCP Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region

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The Propaganda Office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Tibet Autonomous Region Committee serves as the chief office responsible for communicating the agendas of the local party leadership and overseeing state-run media in Tibet, including the mouthpiece newspaper Tibet Daily (西藏日报). It coordinates party ideological work throughout the region while simultaneously operating under multiple official names — including the Regional Government Information Office allowing it to exercise comprehensive control over news, publishing, and cultural production. The department functions as the central enforcer of the party’s media discipline, ensuring all local outlets maintain proper political orientation in line with central and regional level directives, particularly regarding sensitive topics related to Tibetan culture, religion, and territorial claims.

Europe Weekly

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Europe Weekly (欧洲周报), also known as Puhua News (葡华报), is a Chinese-language weekly newspaper published in Portugal, and serving as the local Portuguese-language edition of the overseas edition of the CCP’s official People’s Daily newspaper. Owned and directed by Liang Zhan (梁湛) with Wu Su (吴素) serving as editor-in-chief and operating under Europe Weekly, Lda (headquartered at Rua de Mouraria No. 70-1 in Lisbon), the publication reports a print run of 2,000 copies with a retail price of €1.30. The newspaper covers China-Portugal relations and overseas Chinese community affairs, maintaining social media presence on Facebook and X, along with a WeChat public account (puhuanews). Europe Weekly appears to focus on business exchanges and cultural ties between Portuguese Chinese communities and China, regularly featuring coverage of delegation visits and bilateral economic cooperation initiatives. People’s Daily cooperation is featured next to the publication’s masthead in the print edition.