Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Star Media Group Partnership with Contemporary World

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

Star Media Group (SMG) and China’s Contemporary World magazine (當代世界), which operates under the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, signed a cooperation agreement in Kuala Lumpur on April 2, 2024. SMG CEO Chan Seng Fatt (陳成發) called the partnership a “golden opportunity” that would bridge regional divides through “concerted media collaboration,” acknowledging challenges including “language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and differing political landscapes.” Contemporary World Magazine Director General Lu Xuejun (盧學軍) said the initiative followed discussions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in March 2023, describing the media’s role as serving as a “bridge between the countries’ citizens” – typical rhetoric used by Chinese state media to frame overseas media partnerships as cultural exchange rather than external propaganda. The agreement, signed during the Contemporary World: Cultural Exchange roundtable, coincided with Malaysia-China’s 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations celebrations.

Chinese Ambassador to Italy Meets Deputy Director of Italy’s TG5

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

On July 25, 2017, Chinese Ambassador Li Ruiyu (李瑞宇) met with Enrico Rondoni, Deputy Director of TG5, an Italian television news channel owned by Mediaset Italia S.P.A. During the meeting, Li presented exchanges and achievements between Italy and China in politics, commerce, culture, and technology. Li expressed hope that TG5 would enhance coverage of China’s economic development to give Italians “a more complete and objective idea of China.” Rondoni has served as Deputy Director of TG5 since 2006, after being Central Editor and Foreign Editor for nine years. The event was attended by Italian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ivan Scalfarotto, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General for Country System Promotion Vincenzo De Luca, and Italian Ambassador to China Ettore Francesco Sequi, alongside representatives from Italian government, business and media.

Media Seminar in Beijing with Delegation of Laos and Myanmar Journalists

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

In September 2017, thirteen journalists from Laos and Myanmar participated in a two-week seminar in Beijing focused on China’s development, media roles, and social responsibility. The closing ceremony was held on September 28, 2017, attended by Zhao Lijun (赵立军), Director of the China International Publishing Group (中国外文局) Training Center. The seminar aimed “to enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between China and the two ASEAN member countries,” according to the Lao News Agency (KPL). Officials briefed participants on China’s development policies and achievements since its 1978 economic reforms. Zhao stated that the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by President Xi Jinping, “upholds shared consultation, shared construction and shared benefits” and is “inclusive rather than exclusive.” The program included visits to Xinhua News Agency (新華社) and Guangdong province to observe media operations and regional development.

Nouvelles d’Europe Collaboration with Xinmin Evening News

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

Nouvelles d’Europe (歐洲時報), established in 1983, partnered with Shanghai’s Xinmin Evening News (新民晚報) to launch Europe Weekly (歐洲聯合週報) in Paris in February 2005. The weekly newspaper published on Saturdays and said it focused on “helping Chinese integrate into mainstream European society” and providing information about “development opportunities in China.” The paper described itself as combining “knowledge, entertainment, interactivity, and practicality” with sections on European law, global news, and China-focused content. Nouvelles d’Europe reported that editions were published in France, Austria, Germany, and Hungary, with 36 pages covering topics from “European focus” (歐陸聚焦) to “returning to China guide” (回國指南). The weekly ceased publication in 2008.

Shanghai Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

The Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party serves as the local leadership organ for the Communist Party in Shanghai. The committee wields significant political influence, with its secretary traditionally being a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Political Bureau. The municipality has historically produced numerous high-ranking national leaders — including two General Secretaries, Jiang Zemin (江泽民) and Xi Jinping (习近平), and two premiers, Zhu Rongji (朱镕基) and Li Qiang (李强) — and other top national officials.

Lao Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

The Lao Chinese Chamber of Commerce was established on July 29, 2015, after receiving approval from Laos’ Ministry of Industry and Trade. Initially proposed in 2011 by Lin Zhenchao (林振潮), then-chairman of the Vientiane Chinese Council, the organization was formally launched in 2014-2015 under the leadership of Zhang Mingqiang (張明強) as its first president. Based in the Longbasha Villa district, the Chamber claimed it would serve as a platform to “unite overseas Chinese businesspeople” and “contribute to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” The organization said it aimed to facilitate Sino-Lao business cooperation under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy in Laos while maintaining close ties with overseas Chinese community organizations. The Chamber described itself as the first Chinese business organization established in Laos by overseas Chinese residents.

Central Propaganda Department of the CCP

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

The Central Propaganda Department (中共中央宣傳部) is the internal office within the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party charged with ideology dissemination, media control and the coordination of propaganda both across China and toward the outside world. The office exercises direct leadership over China’s media control system, including the issuing of “guidance” to newspapers, magazines and online outlets as well as the radio, television, publishing and film industries — ensuring that all outlets, products and initiatives align with party policies. The CPD coordinates with the propaganda offices of local party committees at the provincial, city and county levels. Since the early 1990s, the department has been officially known as the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CCP, with the use of the word “publicity” an attempt to downplay the deeply political aspect of the office’s daily work.

Chinese Cultural Center in Laos

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

The Chinese Cultural Center in Laos, an official cultural exchange institution of the People’s Republic of China, was inaugurated on November 3, 2014, in Vientiane. Initially located in the Sisattanakdiscrict, the center relocated to a new 1,800 square meter facility on Kayson Phomvihane Avenue in January 2021, officially opening to the public on February 5, 2021. The center was the third Chinese cultural institution established overseas in 2014, following Denmark and Sri Lanka. The facility claims comprehensive amenities including exhibition halls, a multi-purpose room, library, culinary classroom, Chinese language classrooms, dance and martial arts studios, and cultural experience areas. The institution states it aims to “contribute positively to promoting development of China-Laos relations and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples,” operating under China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism network of global cultural centers.

Europe New Overseas Chinese Network

Written by Editors on March 23, 2025.

The Europe New Overseas Chinese Network launched in April 2016 in Nettetal, Germany, with close connections to Chinese state entities. The opening ceremony was attended by Chinese Consul General Tian Qiru (田启儒) from the Düsseldorf consulate, who pledged the consulate’s “full support” for the network’s operations. The network emerged from the German-Chinese Tourism Culture Media Exchange Association (德中旅游文化传媒交流协会), established eight years earlier, which celebrated its anniversary at the same event. The association had organized exchanges including a 2010 visit by German police officials to Beijing. Both organizations received congratulatory messages from numerous Chinese state organs including the Chinese Embassy, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and various provincial overseas Chinese affairs offices. Wu Zhifen (吴志芬), who leads both groups, stated the network aimed to follow President Xi Jinping’s directives on “media integration,” suggesting the outlet functions as part of China’s state-aligned overseas Chinese media network.