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All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Arab League and China Media Group Sign Cooperation Agreement

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On July 30, 2024, the Arab League (阿拉伯國家聯盟) and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on documentary archives, content production, media technology, and personnel exchanges, expanding China’s media footprint across Arab nations. The two organizations planned to produce a documentary for the 20th anniversary of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, scheduled to premiere at the 2026 China-Arab Summit. Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), deputy head of the CPC Central Committee Publicity Department and CMG president, met with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit to discuss cultural and media cooperation. In language typical of such diplomatic exchanges, Gheit praised China-Arab cooperation and “commended CMG’s achievements in media technologies.” Echoing Beijing’s preferred narrative about China’s global role, Gheit also expressed confidence that “China’s comprehensive reforms would bring new impetus to global development.”

China Media Group and Vietnam Television Sign Cooperation Agreement

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China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) and Vietnam Television (越南電視台) signed a cooperation memorandum on August 19, 2024, during Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam’s (蘇林) state visit to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and To Lam witnessed the signing. The agreement outlines plans for content exchange, joint productions, and technical cooperation. State media claims this will “contribute to the foundation of public support” for China-Vietnam relations and “promote traditional friendship.” China Media Group, formed in March 2018 from the merger of CCTV, China National Radio, and China Radio International, operates under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Publicity Department. Vietnam Television operates nine free public channels and three paid platforms. The memorandum represents increased media coordination between the two countries.

Yunnan Hosts China-Cambodia Mid-Autumn Gala

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China and Cambodia held a Mid-Autumn Festival cultural gala on September 28, 2025, in Phnom Penh, featuring performances by artists from both countries. The event, drawing on Chinese Communist Party frame of “friendship” (友谊), was titled “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon: Deep Neighborly Affection.” It was organized by Cambodia’s Ministry of Information, Ministry of Tourism, China’s embassy in Cambodia, and Yunnan province’s propaganda office (中共雲南省委宣傳部), as part of the China-Cambodia Tourism Year. Chinese performers presented classical dance works a Yunnan Yi ethnic dance called “Stepping on Clouds,” while Cambodian artists performed traditional pieces such as the “Apsara Dance” and a selection from the historical drama “Zhou Daguan Meets Zhenla” (周达观遇见真腊) called titled “Moon Over Angkor.” Zhou Daguan was a Chinese official during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty who visited the kingdom of Angkor in the 13th century and stayed for a time at the court of King Indrvarman III. Zhou is often cited in Chinese official accounts as an early example of “friendly” foreign relations with Cambodia and Southeast Asia more broadly. The involvement of the Yunnan provincial propaganda office in the event underscored the province’s continued role as a platform for China’s cultural and economic engagement in Southeast Asia.

CMG Promotes Xi Jinping Quotes in Portuguese

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On November 20, 2024, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) launched a Portuguese version of “Quotable Quotes by Xi” Season 3 in Brasília during President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Brazil. The show, which features Chinese poetry and sayings quoted in Xi’s speeches, claims to present his “political wisdom” (政治智慧) and “cultural sentiment” while promoting concepts like “community of shared future for mankind” (人類命運共同體). Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who also serves as Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, attended the launch, where Deputy Director of the Central Propaganda Department and CMG President Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) said the program would help Brazilians “understand President Xi’s governance philosophy” (習近平主席的治國理政思想). Brazilian officials, including Communications Secretary Paulo Pimenta and Culture Minister Margareth Menezes, praised the series, with the National Media Company pledging to cooperate with CMG in “promoting mutual understanding.” The program was set to air on major Brazilian networks and appear on outdoor screens across Brasília.

China-Central Asia Media Forum Convenes in Kazakhstan

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On May 29, 2025, in Astana, Kazakhstan, China’s People’s Daily and the Kazakh Presidential Radio and Television Administration jointly hosted the 2025 China-Central Asia Media Cooperation Forum, with over 200 media representatives, officials, experts and business representatives attending from China and Central Asian countries. According to official coverage from Chinese state media, the forum prioritized “building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future” (中亚命运共同体), with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sending a congratulatory letter praising China’s Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路) as winning “wide recognition from the international community.” Chinese officials, including Hu Heping (胡和平) from the Central Propaganda Department of the CCP (中共中央宣传部), described the event as promoting “civilizational exchange” (文明交流互鉴) and fostering “people-to-people connectivity” (民心相通) through media cooperation. In its focus on bilateral exchange in line with Chinese foreign policy goals, the forum followed the pattern of such ostensibly media events, serving as a platform for Chinese agendas over professional media and journalism exchange.

China Media Group and Gazprom-Media Holding Sign Strategic Media Partnership Agreement

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On May 16, 2024, Aleksandr Zharov, CEO of Gazprom-Media Holding, and Shen Haixiong (慎海雄), President of China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台), signed a media cooperation agreement in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The ceremony coincided with the 75th anniversary of China-Russia diplomatic relations and the China-Russia Year of Culture. Zharov stated that “the friendship between Russia and China has reached the highest level of trust,” while Shen expressed that China Media Group was “ready to share its wisdom and strength for the benefit of the two countries.” Under the agreement, the companies committed to exchanging technological expertise and strengthening news broadcasting cooperation between Russia’s largest media corporation and China’s leading state media organization.

Chinese Ambassador Pens Article for Senegalese Media

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On December 15, 2025, the Chinese Ambassador to Senegal  published a signed article in Senegalese newspapers Le Soleil and Le Quotidien, promoting the “Initiative on Cooperation Supporting Modernization in Africa,” a joint framework launched by China and South Africa at the November 22, 2025, G20 summit in Johannesburg. The article outlined six principles: “justice and fairness,” “openness and win-win,” “people-centered,” “diversity and inclusiveness,” “ecological friendliness,” and “peace and security”—rhetoric consistent with China’s  framing of Africa engagement through concepts like “amity, equality, win-win, common development.” The ambassador wrote that the Global South “can completely achieve leapfrog development through its own efforts,” positioning Chinese modernization as an alternative development model. 

CMG Signs Media Cooperation Agreement with Antara News Agency

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On May 25, 2025, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) and Indonesia’s Antara News Agency (安塔拉通訊社) signed a cooperation memorandum during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s (李強) official visit to Indonesia. The agreement, witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Premier Li, was part of eight bilateral cooperation deals signed between the two governments. The memorandum establishes cooperation in content exchange, joint production, technical exchanges, and personnel exchanges between the Chinese state broadcaster and Indonesia’s national news agency. China Media Group, established in 2018, is under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. Antara News Agency, founded in 1937 by independence activists, operates as Indonesia’s national news agency with branches in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and other global locations.

Chinese Embassy Hosts Media Symposium in Senegal

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On December 15, 2015, the Chinese Embassy in Senegal hosted a media symposium focusing on “The Role of Media in China-Senegal Cooperation.” Over 20 journalists from major Senegalese media outlets, including the national television station, state news agency, Future Media television, and official newspapers Le Soleil and Le Quotidien, along with Chinese news agencies such as Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International, and Economic Daily, attended the event. Ambassador Zhang Xun (張迅) highlighted achievements from the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (中非合作論壇) Johannesburg Summit, which took place December 4-5, 2015, describing it as opening “a new era of win-win cooperation and common development” between China and Africa. Participating journalists shared experiences from covering the summit and “highly praised” its outcomes. They agreed that China-Africa and China-Senegal media cooperation has “enormous potential and bright prospects,” emphasizing the importance of expanding communication channels to enhance mutual understanding and promote cooperative development.