Skip to main content

Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

CMG Signs MOU with Brazilian Culture Ministry

Written by Editors on .

On November 18, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Brazil’s Ministry of Culture in Rio de Janeiro. The agreement was signed by CMG President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) and Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, establishing cooperation in audiovisual production, cultural heritage promotion, and technical exchanges. The signing took place amid what Shen described as a “new golden 50 years” of China-Brazil diplomatic relations under the leadership of Presidents Xi Jinping and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The collaboration will focus on film market development, media co-production, cultural heritage preservation, and tourism promotion to strengthen people-to-people connections between the nations. Menezes, who became Brazil’s first Black woman Culture Minister in 2023, emphasized the partnership’s importance for “Global South” nations pursuing mutual understanding and development.

2025 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum

Written by Editors on .

The 2025 ASEAN-China Media Cooperation Forum convened on May 25, 2025, in Luoyang, Henan Province, themed “Harnessing the Power of AI to Enhance Communication Cooperation in the Region.” The event brought together approximately 150 attendees including diplomatic envoys and media professionals from all 10 ASEAN member states, plus Chinese government officials and media representatives. Key participants included Secretary General Shi Zhongjun (石中軍) of the ASEAN-China Center, Cambodia’s minister of information Kem Gunawadh, Vietnam’s deputy minister Phan Tam, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General San Lwin (via video), and President Du Zhanyuan (杜占元) of the China International Communications Group. International partners included: diplomatic representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, plus ASEAN Youth Organization representatives. Co-hosted by the ASEAN-China Center (中國—東盟中心) and China International Communications Group (中國外文局), the forum launched joint initiatives on AI-powered media ecosystem governance and new media exchange programs, with discussions focused on what organizers characterized as combating fake news and promoting responsible AI use in media.

China and South Africa Hold New Media Roundtable

Written by Editors on .

On November 23, 2018, government officials and media representatives from China and South Africa met in Pretoria for a South Africa-China New Media Roundtable (中國-南非新媒體圓桌會議). Co-hosted by China’s Cyberspace Administration (國家互聯網信息辦公室), an agency under the CCP’s Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission that serves as both a state and party institution, and South Africa’s Information Department, the event gathered delegates from both countries’ government, business, media, and academic sectors. Notable attendees included Gao Xiang (高翔), Deputy Director of China’s Cyberspace Administration who later became president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Cedric Frolick, House Chairperson for Committees, Oversight and ICT in South Africa’s National Assembly. Gao Xiang outlined China’s internet governance approach and offered three proposals for media cooperation, while South African Information Department Director-General Mashilo Boloka expressed interest in Chinese network security expertise and stated that “South Africa needs to learn from China’s knowledge and experience in network governance, network regulations, and network technology.” The meeting concluded with a memorandum signing between People’s Daily Online (人民網股份有限公司) and the South Africa-China Cultural and Tourism Investment Trade Promotion Center (南中文化和旅遊投資貿易促進中心).

Italy and China Renew Film Co-Production Agreement

Written by Editors on .

On February 2, 2026, Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli signed a film co-production agreement in Beijing with Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), president of China Media Group and a deputy director of the Central Propaganda Department. The agreement aims to facilitate joint film productions between Italian and Chinese companies, allowing co-produced works to qualify as domestic content in both countries, which might allow Italian co-productions to bypass China’s foreign film quota system. The agreement followed the June 2025 broadcast of the CMG-produced series “Il Guardiano del Patrimonio” across more than 30 Italian media outlets, a production promoting Xi Jinping’s cultural philosophy that was launched at a ceremony in Rome attended by Shen and Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara.

Xinhua and Diario El Salvador Launch Joint Media Compendium

Written by Editors on .

On September 27, 2024, the state-funded Diario El Salvador and China’s Xinhua News Agency formally presented a joint publication titled “Reportajes de encuentros: la relación China-El Salvador” (Encounter Reports: The China-El Salvador Relationship). A related promotion appeared on Diario El Salvador‘s Instagram account. The presentation took place at the editorial offices of Diario El Salvador and was attended by its editorial director, Luis Laínez. The compendium features reports from Salvadoran journalists who traveled to China, alongside Xinhua content translated for a local audience covering sectors like technology, electromobility, and infrastructure. The event coincided with the 75th anniversary of the PRC and the 6th anniversary of bilateral ties, serving as a formalization of content-sharing between the two state-aligned entities.

China Hosts Salvadoran Journalists for “Two Sessions” Press Tour

Written by Editors on .

In March 2026, the PRC invited a select group of Salvadoran journalists, primarily from state-aligned outlets, to cover the annual “Two Sessions” political event in Beijing. Such invitations generally include all-expenses-paid travel and “capacity building” workshops that emphasize the successes of the Chinese socialist model. By providing exclusive access to high-level political meetings, the PRC ensures that the resulting coverage in El Salvador mirrors the official Chinese perspective on sensitive topics like the “One China” principle and Chinese investments and infrastructure support that, some critics argue, serve geopolitical objectives that could be damaging to the country.

CMG Signs Tourism Cooperation Deal with Canada

Written by Editors on .

China Media Group (中央广播电视总台), the state-run media conglomerate directly under the Central Propaganda Department, signed a cooperation agreement with Destination Canada on January 15 during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s official visit to China. CMG Director Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), who also serves as deputy head of the Central Propaganda Department, and Canadian Ambassador to China Jennifer May signed the memorandum of understanding in Beijing, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Carney witnessing the ceremony. The agreement establishes institutional ties for collaboration on program production, project planning, and joint activities to promote what China refers to as “people-to-people diplomacy” (民间外交). Destination Canada is a wholly government-owned agency that markets Canada as a tourism destination. The signing occurred as part of a broader diplomatic reset covering economic, energy, security, and cultural cooperation.

Chinese Embassy Hosts Zimbabwe China Film Festival

Written by Editors on .

The 2025 Zimbabwe-China Film Festival opened in Harare on August 5, attended by Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding (周鼎) and over 200 officials and diplomatic representatives. The festival, co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy, China’s National Film Administration, and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Sport, Entertainment, Arts and Culture, featured four Chinese films, including Panda Plan, YOLO, The Captain, and Red Sea Operation. Ambassador Zhou emphasized that the festival demonstrated China’s “Global Civilization Initiative” and aimed to deepen cultural understanding during Zimbabwe’s 45th year of diplomatic relations with China. Deputy Director Luo Yang (羅楊) of China’s National Film Administration noted this year marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema and 120th of Chinese cinema, expressing hopes for expanded film industry cooperation. Zimbabwean Deputy Minister of Sport, Entertainment, Arts and Culture Jessaya welcomed the festival as supporting the country’s “Film Strategy 2025-2030,” while a representative from Zimbabwe’s Film Association praised the strengthened bilateral cultural exchange.

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.