Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Lao News Agency

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

Lao News Agency, known as “Khaosan Pathet Lao” , the official news agency of Laos, was established on 6 January 1968 in Viengsay, northern Houaphanh province, by the Neo Lao Haksat (Lao Patriotic Front). Initially staffed with only a dozen reporters and technicians, the agency served as a news provider for Pathet Lao radio and the Lao Haksat newspaper during the revolutionary period. KPL became the official national news agency after the Pathet Lao established the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on 2 December 1975. Operating primarily in Lao, English, and French, with headquarters in Vientiane, the state-owned organization maintains provincial branches nationwide and serves as the primary information source for domestic media outlets. The agency describes itself as dependent on government funding and operates within Laos’s single-party system under the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.

Communist Youth League of China

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

The Communist Youth League of China, commonly abbreviated as CYL (共青团), is a youth organization under the Chinese Communist Party (中国共产党) for individuals aged 14-28. Founded in 1920 as the Socialist Youth League (中国社会主义青年团) and officially established in 1922, it adopted its current name in 1957 after several historical iterations. With 75.32 million members as of 2024, the League operates on a party pattern with its highest authority being the National Congress (全国代表大会) held every five years. The CYLC guides the Young Pioneers (少先队) for children under 14. The organization engages in political mobilization, facilitates CCP membership pathways, organizes cultural events, and manages volunteer initiatives like Project Hope (希望工程), spanning poverty alleviation, education, and environmental protection.

Pasaxon

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

Pasaxon, or “The People,” is the official weekly newspaper and organ of the country’s ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (老挝人民革命党), established on August 13, 1950. The state-controlled publication declares its mission to operate under Marxist-Leninist principles. Originally founded as “Free Laos News” by the communist Pathet Lao movement in northeastern Laos, the newspaper underwent several name changes before becoming the party’s central publication in 1983. Based in Vientiane, Pasaxon functions as the ruling party’s primary media vehicle, with content focused on positive reporting about Laos while practicing significant self-censorship due to government media review policies.

Chinese Times

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

Chinese Times is the only Chinese-language print newspaper in Laos. Officially launched in 2018 at the first Belt and Road Forum for Laos-China Cooperation, the paper’s coverage includes Laos news, economics, culture, tourism, education, and updates on China-Laos collaboration and the local Chinese population. The paper has only a spotty presence online, but maintains a Facebook account with more than 22 thousand followers. Most of the content available on the Facebook account comes from Chinese party-state media, including China News Service and Xinhua News Agency’s GlobaLink service.

Palestine Public Broadcasting Commission

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

The Palestine Public Broadcasting Commission (PBC), formerly known as Palestine’s Broadcasting Authority, serves as the state media organization under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Founded in 1994, the PBC runs Palestine TV as a satellite broadcasting service and the Voice of Palestine as its radio network, although other media outlets also operate within Palestinian territories. Critics have alleged that the organization functions primarily as a governmental mouthpiece, and Israeli officials have claimed its content promotes violent actions. In 2011, the PBC signed a cooperation agreement with Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, to include DW programs such as “In Good Shape” and “Kick off!” in its television lineup and broadcast DW radio programming on science and technology topics. In 2013, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union conducted a technical advisory mission to assist PBC in improving its radio and television transmission services across its Voice of Palestine stations.

Propaganda Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CCP

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

The Propaganda Office of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party serves as the primary ideological oversight body for the province, controlling all state media operations, including its flagship publication, Zhejiang Daily (浙江日報). Based in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, the department executes propaganda directives from both the central party headquarters and provincial leadership to ensure “correct” political messaging across all local media platforms. The department regulates information dissemination, shapes public discourse, orchestrates propaganda initiatives, and supervises cultural activities throughout Zhejiang Province — guaranteeing that all communication channels uniformly promote CCP doctrine and reinforce official policy positions.

China Media Management Inc

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

China Media Management Inc. (CMM-I傳媒諮詢有限公司), or CMM-I, is a Beijing-based entertainment content consulting and business development firm originally founded in 1997 by Anke Redl, a former producer with WDR/German TV who spent several decades in China, and Rowan Simons, who claims in his bio to have negotiated “the BBC’s first full co-production with CCTV.” CMM-I was reportedly established in Hong Kong in 1997 “as China’s first media information and event services company.” It registered its Beijing representative office on July 4, 2001, according to PRC business records. The company specializes in distribution and production support for international content owners entering the Chinese market across animation, drama, film, formats, and documentaries. CMM-I serves as a Chinese representative for major international television trade shows, including MIPCOM (an annual TV industry market in Cannes), the Asia Television Forum (Singapore’s regional TV market), and South by Southwest (a media and technology festival in Austin). The firm’s clients have included media companies such as the British BBC and ITV. According to the company’s website, co-founder Simons received the Special Contribution Award at the Sichuan TV Festival in 2012, hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局) and the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government. CMM-I is also a member of the UN SDG Media Compact, a United Nations alliance promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), founded in 1837, is one of Greece’s oldest universities, with eight schools and 33 faculties offering programs in medicine, law, sciences, humanities, and engineering. The university maintains 800 bilateral agreements with institutions in 63 countries, including partnerships with universities in Asia, particularly China. In September 2025, NKUA hosted an international conference on Greek-Chinese philosophical dialogue, a China-led initiative for cultural diplomacy between Greece and China. The event was attended by Li Xi (李希), a member of the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee, signaling Beijing’s strong interest in strengthening ties with Greece. The conference strongly emphasized Greece and China as ancient Western and Eastern civilizations, in line with the CCP’s more recent deployment of civilization-related political discourse, including through its Global Civilization Initiative.

Nya Dagbladet

Written by Editors on March 17, 2026.

Nya Dagbladet is a Swedish online daily newspaper founded in 2012. The outlet adheres to nationalist, science-skeptic, and non-partisan positions. It describes itself as humanist and ethnopluralist, and holds an anti-globalization stance. EXPO, a Swedish NGO that monitors right-wing organizations, considers Nya Dagbladet a right-wing extremist website that feeds conspiracy theories. The paper’s founder, editor-in-chief, and publisher is Markus Andersson, once a prominent figure in the now-dissolved right-wing extremist party Nationaldemokraterna (National Democrats). The outlet frequently publishes content promoting alternative cancer treatments, spreads anti-vaccine narratives and conspiracy theories, disseminates information about alleged health risks from mobile phone radiation, and promotes climate skepticism along with criticism of environmental policies. Other recurring themes include immigration issues, freedom of speech, and topics commonly criticized by the European far-right — including the policies of the European Union. When the Russia-Ukraine War broke out in February 2022, the paper also reported on a fabricated document circulating online and falsely attributed to the RAND Corporation, which spuriously claimed that the United States was driving the war in order to weaken Germany. In 2021, Nya Dagbladet applied to the Swedish Agency for the Media (Mediemyndigheten) for funding but was rejected. The paper published an article condemning the decision as politically motivated, and in retaliation, it joined forces with other alternative media outlets to publicly release personal information about the agency’s staff members, including their personal details, high school grades, and sexual orientation.