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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

China–Africa Development Fund

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The China–Africa Development Fund (中非發展基金), or CAD Fund, was announced by Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) on November 4, 2006, as part of eight measures for Sino-African relations at the Beijing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, and began operations on June 26, 2007. The fund is managed by China Development Bank (國家開發銀行),  a bank under the State Council, the PRC’s government. The CAD Fund makes equity investments in sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, industrial parks, and resource development throughout Africa, supporting Chinese corporate investment on the continent while asserting it will “strengthen Africa’s capacity to develop on its own and enhance Africa’s competitiveness.” Among its known investments is a 20 percent stake in South Africa’s Independent Media. 

Malaysian National News Agency

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The Malaysian National News Agency, or Bernama, is Malaysia’s official government news agency established under the Bernama Act 1967 and commenced operations on May 20, 1968. Operating as an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Communications, Bernama provides real-time news and information services in multiple languages including Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil, Spanish, and Arabic. Bernama maintains branches in every Malaysian state and international correspondents and stringers across ASEAN countries, the United States, United Kingdom, West Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Beyond its wire service, Bernama operates its own 24-hour radio and television channels and has launched digital media platforms. The agency recently began utilising AI technology to enhance news delivery and multimedia content production.

Union of Bulgarian Journalists

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The Union of Bulgarian Journalists (UBJ) is Bulgaria’s largest professional journalism organization, founded in 1904. The Union says it represents 4,500 members and advocates for professional standards, media freedom, and journalists’ labor rights. UBJ maintains partnerships with journalism associations from 51 countries, cooperating  with EU member states and non-EU member Balkan countries. The UBJ also conducts legislative advocacy, submitting proposals to Bulgaria’s National Assembly on media ownership transparency and journalist protections.

Studio Homegrown Productions

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Studio Homegrown Productions, a Solomon Islands media entity founded in 2004 by Karl Tokuro Vaekesa, initially operated as “Pink Moskito Net Production” before being renamed “Homegrown Productions” later that year and subsequently registered as Studio Homegrown Productions. Based in Naha 3, East Honiara, the company specializes in music videos, cultural content, and multimedia production services promoting “homegrown music, cultures, stories, and lifestyle of Solomon Islanders.” The studio maintains a significant digital presence with 80,000 Facebook followers and 40,000 YouTube subscribers. Vaekesa participated in Chinese government-sponsored media exchanges in 2025, visiting Beijing institutions including China Media Group Mobile and CCTV.com as part of the Belt and Road Initiative programming between China and Pacific nations.

Foreign Journalists Join Maritime Silk Road Media Tour

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On November 30, journalists from Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Asia-Pacific nations visited the SuperX Farm demonstration facility operated by XAG (極飛科技), a Guangzhou-based agricultural technology company, as part of the Maritime Silk Road Joint Media Tour organized by “South,” the English-language platform of the Nanfang International Communication Center (南方國際傳播中心), or NICC. NICC is a provincial-level ICC under the CCP-run Nanfang Media Group (南方報業傳媒集團), which publishes the Nanfang Daily newspaper and other publications in China’s southern Guangdong province. The tour showcased drones, robots, and AI-driven precision farming operations. Participants included Ritika Devi from the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, Himanshu Bhatt from Malaysia’s The Sun, and a journalist from Indonesia’s Antara News Agency. According to the reports, Devi stated that “with drone technology that reduces labor, we can overcome these challenges,” while Bhatt described it as “a good marriage between technology and a necessary mission.” The Indonesian representative was quoted as praising China’s technological prowess, emphasizing their country’s technological needs, and calling on Chinese investors to explore opportunities in Indonesia.

UNICEF Partners with Shanghai State Media Outlet

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On December 4, The Paper (澎湃新闻), a CCP-run media outlet in the municipality of Shanghai, signed an MoU with UNICEF China, pledging to jointly promote children’s issues, including climate change, mental health, and early childhood development. The partnership grants the Party-controlled outlet — which describes itself as a “responsible internet-based mainstream media platform” — a formal relationship with the UN agency to advance coverage of children’s rights. The MOU was signed by The Paper’s editor-in-chief Liu Yonggang (刘永钢) and UNICEF representative Cynthia McCaffrey (桑爱玲), establishing what both sides characterized as a “strategic partnership.” According to the UNICEF website, McCaffrey was the China representative for the office through October 2022, when she was promoted as head of the India office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

16th Media Forum China-Germany

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The 16th Media Forum China Germany (第16屆中德媒體圓桌對話會) was held in Shenzhen from November 10-13, 2025, co-hosted by the state-run Global Times (環球時報) newspaper and China Media Management Inc (CMM-I传媒咨询有限公司), a Beijing-based consulting and business development firm originally founded in Hong Kong with ties to Germany and the UK. While Chinese state media characterized the event as receiving “support from the United Nations,” this appears to refer solely to the online participation of the UN Resident Coordinator in China, not to institutional endorsement or substantive UN involvement documented in any public record. The Global Times reported that participants discussed China’s four “Global Initiatives,” one of Xi Jinping’s signature policy initiatives on development, security, civilization, and governance. Attendees also toured Shenzhen’s technology parks. The Global Times editor-in-chief said the forum would “make new contributions to deepening the China-Germany all-round strategic partnership.” The forum has been held annually since 2010 , with support at least until 2016 by the Robert Bosch Foundation, as an effort to encourage exchange between Chinese and German media outlets. The media event has received continued criticism in recent years from activists who argue that the Forum allows Chinese state-controlled media representatives to promote official Chinese narratives.

UNICEF

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UNICEF, or United Nations Children’s Fund, is the United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, working globally to uphold children’s rights and protect them from harm and discrimination. The organization has been present in China since 1979, collaborating with the government and local partners to promote policies that advance children’s rights and ensure that vulnerable children benefit from national development. UNICEF’s work in China encompasses child protection, health and development, education, and social policy, while also providing humanitarian assistance during emergencies. UNICEF’s media cooperation in China includes a 2025 MoU with The Paper (澎湃), an online outlet under Shanghai’s CCP.

The Paper

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The Paper (澎湃新聞) is a news platform operated by the CCP-run Shanghai United Media Group (上海報業集團) that launched on July 22, 2014. Media scholar and former Southern Weekly journalist Fang Kecheng has described the outlet as having “the face of commercial media, and the heart of Party media,” while David Bandurski, the director of the China Media Project, called it an experiment in producing propaganda content that can “attract” and “attach” to mobile audiences. Between 2018 and 2023, The Paper said it received over 400 domestic and international awards. The news platform covers current affairs, finance, and lifestyle content through a mobile-first app and website. It features sections including “Striking Tigers” (打虎記) for anticorruption coverage (generally focusing on small-time cases of malfeasance), and “Translating China” (譯中國), which aggregates foreign reporting on China.