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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Overseas Chinese Media Delegation Visit to Fuzhou New Area

On August 15, representatives from ten overseas Chinese-language media outlets, including Germany’s European New Immigrant Network, Italy’s Overseas Chinese Network, Mauritius’ Chinese Voice, the Philippines’ World Daily and Business Daily, visited the Fuzhou New Area (福州新區) during a two-day tour to observe local development. The delegation toured the China-Indonesia Two Countries Twin Parks (中印尼兩國雙園), where Shi Jie (施捷), vice chairman of Saneheld (Fuqing) Food Company, stated that the Twin Parks “brought enormous business opportunities.” The Two Countries Twin Parks initiative, approved by China’s State Council in January 2023, represents a new bilateral cooperation model where both countries establish industrial parks on each other’s territory. The group also visited the Digital Fujian Cloud Computing Center (數字福建雲計算中心), which officials claimed “possesses the fastest computing platform in Fujian Province” with processing capabilities of “60 trillion calculations per second.” Media representatives expressed interest in promoting Fuzhou New Area’s economic achievements to overseas Chinese communities.

China News Service Signs Strategic Agreement with Laos Future Media Co Ltd

On January 13, 2015, the China News Service (中國新聞社) Yunnan Branch signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Laos Future Media Company (老撾未來傳媒有限公司) in Kunming, with the partnership aimed at “promoting China-Laos media development” and “contributing to China-Laos cultural exchange.” The agreement established “comprehensive, multi-level strategic cooperation” to “integrate information resources” and “expand information influence,” according to the source material. Under the partnership, the Yunnan Branch would collaborate with Laos Future Media’s platforms including its news website, WeChat account, and business magazine. The organizations said they would jointly “promote Chinese-language media development in Laos” and “provide news services to ethnic Chinese in the country.” Laos Future Media Company was established in Vientiane in 2012 and operates print and online platforms providing Laos-related news targeted at ethnic Chinese readers.

Euractiv Runs External Propaganda from China’s MFA

On July 11, the European news outlet Euractiv published an article labeled as “Advertiser Content” and authored by “Xin Ping Mission of China to the EU” that presented Chinese government propaganda arguing that Taiwan was legally and historically an inseparable part of China. The piece cited UN Resolution 2758, post-WWII agreements including the Cairo and Potsdam Declarations, and bilateral treaties to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan, dismissing any claims of Taiwanese independence as “ridiculous” and “dangerous revisionism.” While the byline claimed “Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs,” this writer is not a human being but rather an official pen name used by China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency for opinion pieces, particularly on China-EU relations, and the author was explicitly identified as representing China’s Mission to the EU — making clear that this was official Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs propaganda published through Euractiv’s paid content arrangement.

Government of Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan operates as a federal parliamentary Islamic republic with a multi-tiered structure that includes executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The system features a President as head of state, a Prime Minister as head of government, and a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and National Assembly. Pakistan’s political system has alternated between civilian and military rule, democratic and authoritarian governance since its independence in 1947, reflecting ongoing institutional challenges. The country maintains a federal structure with provincial governments, and its constitution establishes Islam as the state religion while providing for parliamentary democracy within an Islamic framework that governs the nation’s approximately 241.5 million citizens.

Chinese Ambassador Runs Articles in South Sudan Media

Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Ma Qiang (馬強) published an article titled “Working Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” in several South Sudanese media outlets including The Dawn (黎明報) newspaper, City Review (城市評論報), and Juba Echo (朱巴回聲網) on January 15, 2024. The article highlights President Xi Jinping’s concept of building a “community of shared future for mankind” (人類命運共同體), which was first proposed in 2013 during Xi’s address to the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Ambassador Ma emphasized China’s commitment to global cooperation and described ongoing China-Africa partnerships, including infrastructure projects like railways and ports. He specifically noted China-South Sudan cooperation in oil, broadcasting facilities, and the Clement Mboro Bridge (克萊門特·姆博羅大橋) project in Wau. Ma stated that China has responded to South Sudanese President Kiir’s call to shift assistance “from humanitarian to developmental areas” and mentioned upcoming implementation of several projects including the Juba Teaching Hospital (朱巴教學醫院) phase two and water well drilling initiatives.

Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communication

The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications, established in December 2007 under Government Decree No. 178/2007/ND-CP, was the government body responsible for managing the country’s information and communication sector. It oversaw areas including press, publishing, postal services, telecommunications, internet, broadcasting, and national information infrastructure. On March 1, 2025, the MIC officially ceased operations following its merger with the Ministry of Science and Technology to form the new Ministry of Science and Technology. The National Assembly approved the appointment of Nguyen Manh Hung as the new minister on February 18, 2025, with the merger taking effect on March 1, 2025, under Government Decree No. 55.

Australian News Channel Pty Ltd

Australian News Channel (ANC) is a media company that operates Sky News Australia and related channels. The company was founded in 1995, originally as a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting, Seven Media Group, and Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (澳洲廣播出版有限公司). Sky News Australia itself launched on 19 February 1996 as Australia’s first domestically produced television news channel. The company operates several broadcasting services, including Sky News Australia, Sky News Extra, Sky News Weather Channel, Sky News Regional, and international services like Sky News New Zealand. News Corp Australia acquired the entire company in December 2016, buying out the original stakeholders who had rejected a News Corp takeover offer of A$20 million in June 2015, with the owners wanting a minimum of A$50 million. The deal was worth approximately A$20 million according to industry sources.

Fairfax Media Group

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.

Daily Star Joins PRC Poverty Reduction Symposium

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.