Skip to main content

Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

China Today Turkey Edition Launches

Written by Editors on .

On November 16, 2010, the Turkish edition of China Today magazine was officially launched in Ankara. According to the publisher, Turkey’s Dijitek Grup, approximately 70 percent of the Turkish edition’s content would be sourced from three Chinese state media outlets — Beijing Review (北京週報), China Today (今日中國), and China Pictorial (人民畫報) — while Turkish journalists and analysts would produce the remaining 30 percent. The stated aim was to provide Turkish business readers with information about China’s economy and investment opportunities.  According to a report of the Turkish communication magazine MediaCat, China Today was initially published through a partnership (possibly a printing deal) between Dijitek Grup, a Turkish company, and China International Publishing Group (中國外文局) — a state-owned publishing group operating under the Central Propaganda Department. Chinese officials described the edition as the sixth international print version of the longstanding external propaganda outlet, and claimed it was “the only magazine introducing China in Turkish.” By 2012, Turkuvaz Media Group — a pro-government conglomerate with close ties to President Erdoğan’s administration — had assumed publishing responsibilities. Zhou Mingwei (周明偉), then director of China International Publishing Group, led the delegation and met with Turkish ministers Nihat Ergün and Ertuğrul Günay.

Russian Cultural Center Visits with Junior Journalists from Home and Abroad News Agency

Written by Editors on .

On February 3, 2026, a delegation of junior journalists organized by Home and Abroad News Press visited the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing (北京俄罗斯文化中心) to interview director Tatiana Urzhumtseva, the Russian embassy counselor also serving as head of the local representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo — an autonomous Russian federal government agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and cultural exchange. Rossotrudnichestvo was sanctioned by the European Union in 2022. Urzhumtseva called on young people to transform “national narratives” into “life narratives and shared memories” to carry forward bilateral “friendship” (友谊) — a term used in both CCP and Russian state discourse to frame cultivated media and people-to-people ties as expressions of strategic alignment. The event included performances by junior journalists. Home and Abroad News Press president Wei Yan (韦燕) attended and accepted a commemorative book on behalf of the delegation.

Chinese Consul Visits Iranian Media Outlets

Written by Editors on .

On October 25 and 26, 2025, Xu Wei (徐煒), China’s consul general in Bandar Abbas, visited the offices of two southern Iranian newspapers, Darya and Sobhe Sahel, and met with their directors. Xu introduced the outcomes of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, a key party meeting at which the senior leadership sets national policy priorities. Xu said the media is “an important channel for enhancing mutual understanding and friendship” between citizens of the two countries, though no specific details of any media cooperation agreements were provided during the session. The visits reflect broader Chinese efforts to cultivate regional media ties under the China–Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, formalized in a 25-year cooperation agreement in March 2021.

Russian Cultural Center Hosts Chinese Journalists in Beijing

Written by Editors on .

On February 6, 2026, the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing (北京俄羅斯文化中心) held a New Year media exchange event, at which center director Tatiana Urzhumtseva (吴丹娜), a Russian embassy counselor, presented certificates of appreciation to Chinese media outlets including Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily Overseas Edition, Global Times Online, China Youth Daily, China.com, Sina, and the Hong Kong-based Zhongwai News Agency (中外新闻社), an official news service launched by the Hong Kong SAR government in 2001 with a bureau in Beijing. Urzhumtseva stated that in 2025 the center held over 300 events with more than 150,000 participants, co-published more than 9,000 content items with media partners, and reached over 22 million people online. She noted that 2026 marks the launch of the “China-Russia Education Year” (中俄教育年).

Sobh-e Sahel

Written by Editors on .

Sobh-e Sahel (صبح ساحل) is an Iranian regional newspaper based in Hormozgan Province, in the southern part of the country. Founded in 1985, it began publishing as a weekly after receiving a licence from Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The paper focuses on local news across Iran’s southern coastal region. Its coverage spans economics, protests, and public safety.

Chinese Embassy in Iran

Written by Editors on .

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Iran (中華人民共和國駐伊朗伊斯蘭共和國大使館) is China’s chief diplomatic mission in the country. The mission was established on August 16, 1971, when China and Iran formally established diplomatic relations with Iran –  a significant shift, as Iran had previously recognized the Republic of China (ROC) government in Taiwan. The embassy serves as the primary channel for political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries.

Darya News

Written by Editors on .

Darya News (دریا نیوز) is an Iranian online news outlet founded in 2006 and based in Hormozgan Province in southern Iran. The outlet covers political, cultural, sports, and social news with a focus on Iran’s southern provinces. Alongside its website, Darya News maintains a social media presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and Telegram. As of March 2026, the outlet was led by owner and editor-in-chief Yaqoub Dabiri Nejad.

Beijing Huanet Zhixun Information Co., Ltd.

Written by Editors on .

Beijing Huanet Zhixun Information Co., Ltd. is the operating company behind China.com (中華網), established on December 8, 2017, and registered in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. Its registered capital is 13.33 million yuan. The company has two shareholders: Ningbo Yurui Investment Co., Ltd. (宁波宇瑞投资有限公司), holding 75 percent, and Guoguang Huanqiu Media Holdings Co., Ltd. (国广环球传媒控股有限公司), holding 25 percent. Ningbo Yurui Investment is itself a member of the Ningbo-based Yurui Investment (宇瑞投资) group. The legal representative and chairman of Beijing Huanet was Ren Hangzhong (任杭中) as of February 2026. The company reported 48 employees in its 2024 annual filing.

Rossotrudnichestvo

Written by Editors on .

Rossotrudnichestvo — formally the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation — is a Russian federal executive body operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, established by presidential decree on September 6, 2008. Its stated mandate is to promote Russian language, culture, and education abroad and to support Russian compatriots overseas. It maintains a global network of approximately 97 “Russian Houses” across 70 countries. Critics and independent analysts describe it as Russia’s primary instrument for soft power projection and hybrid influence, disseminating Kremlin narratives under the cover of cultural exchange. In July 2022, the European Union placed Rossotrudnichestvo under sanctions for running what the bloc described as a network of “agents of influence” spreading Kremlin narratives.