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All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Sino-Spanish Cultural Exchange Event Held in Madrid

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On July 29, 2024, the China Media Group (CMG) hosted a cultural exchange event in Madrid titled “China’s deepening reform in the new era” as part of Beijing’s broader effort to shape international media narratives following the Third Plenum – a gathering of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party traditionally focused on economic policy. Speakers included Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), CMG president; José Luis Centella, president of the Communist Party of Spain; and Yao Jing (姚敬), Chinese ambassador to Spain. Shen said that China’s reforms would bring “more opportunities” to the world, echoing standard CCP messaging on Chinese modernization. During the event, CMG also announced several cooperation projects, including “A Look at China: Spanish Journalists’ China Tour” (一起看中國:西班牙記者中國), which would bring Spanish reporters to China for media reports on Chinese development; a CGTN digital exhibition on paintings from the Song dynasty; and an invitation for Spanish museums to participate in CMG’s National Treasure (國家寶藏) program, broadcast on CCTV-3 channel, which regularly showcases Chinese cultural highlights. Ten CMG-produced programs promoting Chinese modernization and Sino-Spanish cooperation were scheduled for broadcast across Spanish outlets, including Mediaset, EFE News Agency, and Barcelona Television

Mediaset Spain

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Mediaset Spain (Mediaset España), formally known as Grupo Audiovisual Mediaset España Comunicación, opened in Madrid on March 10, 1989, and began broadcasting in 1990 as Tele 5. Mediaset España operates seven free-to-air television channels and has expanded beyond broadcasting into advertising sales through Publiespaña, film production via Telecinco Cinema, and public relations consulting. In 2023, the broadcaster joined a group of Spanish media in broadcasting “China-Spain Cultural Journey” (中西文化之旅), a series of programs marking the 50th anniversary of China-Spain diplomatic relations, organized between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and the China Media Group (CMG), the mega-conglomerate under China’s Central Propaganda Department. 

Cátedra China

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Cátedra China is a Spain-based organization founded in 2012. The think tank describes its mission using language that closely mirrors CCP narratives, presenting itself as a bridge between “knowledgeable and lovers of current and historical China” from Spanish and Chinese academic, business, media, and institutional circles. It organizes conferences, seminars, and political dialogue events, and publishes the magazine Mundo Global. The think tank has ties to the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), a government body that aims to cultivate foreign networks and relationships. The association has a partnership with the Spain-China People’s Friendship Association (AACHE), an organization established in 2019 at CPAFFC’s encouragement. In 2020, a report from the US State Department characterized CPAFFC as being used to “directly and malignly influence state and local leaders.” In 2024, it inaugurated Fundación Cátedra China, with the aim of strengthening knowledge and relations between Spain, the European Union, and the People’s Republic of China. The organization maintains close ties with the Chinese embassy in Spain. In February 2021, former Chinese Ambassador to Spain Wu Haitao (吳海濤) met with Cátedra China’s executive committee, calling it “necessary and valuable.” In March 2024, the think tank launched the “China Comienza Aquí” (China Begins Here) programme, in collaboration with the PRC embassy in Spain. The program arranges meetings between Chinese diplomats and Spanish university students in what the organization describes as informal, “protocol-free” exchanges. Current Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing (姚敬) has attended multiple Cátedra China events and, in November 2024, jointly presented with Cátedra China on China’s 15th Five-Year Plan – a strategic roadmap for China to follow until 2030.  Marcelo Muñoz is the founder and current honorary president. When interviewed by Chinese state broadcaster CGTN Europe, he said he  “was the first ever Spaniard to open a business in China” in 1978. Muñoz has authored multiple books and writes regularly for Spanish outlets. In interviews with Chinese state media, he echoes Beijing’s narratives, describing China’s transformation as one of humanity’s greatest transformations.  

EI 33

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El 33 is Catalonia’s second public television channel, belonging to Televisió de Catalunya, a subsidiary of the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (CCMA). Created in September 1988, the channel broadcasts exclusively in Catalan and focuses on cultural programming, including documentaries, science, and the arts. El 33 offers programs that complement TV3’s content, catering to specialized audiences with educational and cultural interests while experimenting with new audiovisual formats. 

El Debate

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El Debate is a Spanish Catholic newspaper originally founded in 1910 and published in Madrid until 1936, when it ceased publication at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The newspaper was relaunched on October 1, 2021, as a digital publication under the direction of Bieito Rubido, former director of the national newspaper ABC, and financed by the Asociación Católica de Propagandistas. The relaunched publication covers Spanish affairs, international issues, economy, society, culture, and religion. According to its director, El Debate advocates for “the defense of the unity of Spain, the constitutional order, the family and the monarchy,” as well as Christian values. 

Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party

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The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español), or PSOE, is a social democratic political party in Spain. Founded in 1879, the PSOE is Spain’s oldest existing political party and has governed longer than any other party in modern democratic Spain. The party was led in 2026 by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has served since 2018 and forms a coalition government with the left-wing Sumar party, established in November 2023. The PSOE is a member of the Party of European Socialists, the Progressive Alliance, and the Socialist International, representing center-left social democratic politics in Spain.

Cuatro

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Cuatro is a Spanish free-to-air television channel that launched on November 7, 2005. The channel broadcasts news, entertainment shows, reality programs, series, documentaries, and sports content. The channel is owned by Mediaset España Comunicación, part of the Italian Mediaset media conglomerate.  

Agencia EFE

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Agencia EFE is Spain’s state-owned news agency, officially on January 3, 1939 during the Spanish Civil War. The agency provides comprehensive news coverage across politics, economics, culture, and sports in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and English. EFE operates with more than 3,000 journalists from 60 countries distributed across over 180 cities, working 24 hours daily from five editorial departments in Madrid, Bogotá, Cairo (Arabic service), Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese service), and Bangkok (English multimedia service). 

Spanish Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA)

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The Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) was established in January 1985, following Spain’s passage of Law 50/1984 on December 30, 1984. The Institute is responsible for the film and audiovisual sectors in Spain, including related legislation, grants and subsidies. The institute represents Spain as a member of the European Film Promotion (EFP) network, which supports European cinema internationally. ICAA operates under the Spanish Ministry of Culture, located in Madrid.