Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Chinese Ambassador Meets with Senegal National Broadcasting Director

Written by Editors on February 8, 2026.

Chinese Ambassador to Senegal Li Zhigang (李志剛) met with Senegal National Broadcasting Director Pape Alé Niang on January 7, 2026 to discuss China-Senegal media exchange and cooperation. Ambassador Li emphasized that China “highly values promoting China-Senegal and China-Africa civilizational exchange and mutual learning” ahead of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges — an initiative between China and the African Union kicked off in January 2026 — and expressed willingness to cooperate with Senegal National Broadcasting on media coverage of major events including the Dakar Youth Olympic Games. Director Niang praised China’s contributions to Senegal’s development and stated willingness to “learn from China’s development experience” and “actively promote Senegal-China friendly cooperation.” The meeting represents China’s efforts to build media coordination with African state broadcasters as part of broader people-to-people exchange initiatives designed to strengthen “hearts connecting, emotions blending, and forces gathering.” The language of “civilizational exchange” reflects official CCP terminology positioning China as creator of “a new form of human civilization” that other countries should emulate, while “friendship” is a term the CCP uses to condition relationships on accommodating China’s core interests.

Italy and China Renew Film Co-Production Agreement

Written by Editors on February 8, 2026.

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.

China Film Administration

Written by Editors on February 8, 2026.

The China Film Administration (國家電影局) was officially established on April 16, 2018, as part of institutional reforms that transferred film regulation from the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) to direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. It is responsible for reviewing and approving all films for release in China, dictating “whether, when, and how a movie gets released.” China’s official Xinhua New Agency reported in 2018 that the restructuring would “strengthen the Party’s overall leadership” in ideological sectors and advance “cultural confidence.”

All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese

Written by Editors on February 8, 2026.

The All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (中華全國歸國華僑聯合會), or ACFROC, established October 12, 1956, operates as a “people’s organization” — or a state-sanctioned, mass-membership group under the CCP — within the united front system to influence overseas Chinese communities worldwide. Tracing its roots to Yan’an-era associations, ACFROC gained expanded authority in 2018 when the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee transferred responsibilities for “friendship with overseas Chinese associations” from the State Council’s Overseas Chinese Affairs Office to ACFROC. The organization maintains ties with diaspora communities through cultural exchanges, business networks, and friendship associations, working to mobilize overseas Chinese support for Beijing’s economic development and geopolitical objectives. Through its network of affiliated organizations and direct engagement programs, ACFROC serves as a primary channel for the party-state to extend influence among Chinese communities abroad while facilitating technology transfer and advancing China’s vision of national rejuvenation.

Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise

Written by Editors on February 7, 2026.

Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS), or Senegalese Radio and Television, is Senegal’s state-owned public broadcasting company operating radio and television services under the supervision of the Senegalese government. Established as the national broadcaster, RTS serves as the primary platform for government communications and official messaging in Senegal. In April 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appointed journalist Pape Alé Niang — previously arrested multiple times for critical reporting on the previous government — as Director General of RTS, signaling a shift in the broadcaster’s editorial direction. However, by early 2026, Niang faced significant internal opposition from workers citing financial crisis and management disputes. As a state broadcaster, RTS plays a central role in Senegal’s media landscape and serves as a key partner for foreign governments, including China, seeking to coordinate media messaging and build communication infrastructure in West Africa through bilateral cooperation agreements.

Guangdong Radio and Television

Written by Editors on February 7, 2026.

Guangdong Radio and Television (廣東廣播電視台), or GRT, is a provincial state media organization operating under the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Office. Formed in 2014 through the merger of Guangdong People’s Broadcasting Station (established 1949), Guangdong Television (established 1959), and Southern Broadcasting, Film & Television Media Group, GRT serves China’s most populous province and plays a strategic role in external propaganda activities targeting Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. GRT operates multiple channels and digital platforms under CCP guidance, with capacity for multilingual broadcasting given Guangdong’s proximity to Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian markets.

Chinese Embassy in Russia

Written by Editors on February 7, 2026.

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Russian Federation is located at 6 Druzhby Street in Moscow’s Ramenki District and serves as China’s primary diplomatic mission in Russia. The embassy operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and plays a key role in managing bilateral relations between Beijing and Moscow, including coordinating propaganda and media cooperation activities. The current ambassador is Zhang Hanhui (張漢暉), who regularly hosts events with Russian government officials and media representatives to promote what the CCP frames as generational “friendship” between the two countries. The embassy actively facilitates Chinese state media operations in Russia and organizes propaganda activities including media receptions, cultural events, and coordination meetings designed to “lay a solid public opinion foundation” for China-Russia strategic partnership while “combating false information” — CCP terminology for countering narratives critical of Chinese or Russian government policies.

Uruguay Presidential Press Office

Written by Editors on February 7, 2026.

The Uruguay Presidential Press Office (Secretaría de Comunicación de Presidencia) is the communications arm of Uruguay’s presidency, responsible for planning and executing information dissemination, public relations, and strategic messaging for the presidential office and Uruguayan government. The office manages presidential communications across traditional and digital media platforms, coordinates with domestic and international press, and shapes government narratives on policy priorities and diplomatic initiatives. In February 2026, the office signed a memorandum of understanding with Xinhua News Agency committing to participate in Chinese-led “Global South” media coordination mechanisms. As Uruguay’s central government communications authority, the Presidential Press Office plays a key role in managing Uruguay’s international media presence and bilateral information exchanges, including with Chinese state media entities seeking to build propaganda coordination infrastructure with Latin American governments.