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All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Xinhua and China Media Group Ink Deals with Sangbad Sangstha and Bangladesh Television

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Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Bangladesh’s national news agency, signed cooperation agreements with Xinhua News Agency (新華社) and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) on July 10, 2024, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to China. BSS Managing Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad signed memorandums that officials said would “extend beneficial cooperation” in news and information exchange. The agencies reported they would conduct “multilevel and wide-ranging cooperation,” including “personal exchanges, training, and seminars” for journalists and technical experts. The agreements called for what was described as “technological exchanges” and “innovation and development in media technologies,” with officials noting all activities would operate “in accordance with their respective domestic laws.” The signing occurred during a high-level exchange that officials said was meant to enhance “mutual understanding” between the agencies during Hasina’s July 8-10 visit to Beijing.

Macau Daily Signs Cooperation Agreement with Global Media Group

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In September 2023, Macau Daily News (澳門日報) signed a cooperation agreement with Portugal’s Global Media Group. Under the agreement, Macau Daily News launched a special section titled “A Window into Chinese Culture” (中國文化之窗) in the group’s newspaper, Diário de Notícias, with the first installment published on September 28, 2023. Macau, a former Portuguese colony that was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, maintains Portuguese as an official language alongside Chinese. The section appears every Thursday, and covers topics such as Macau’s historical and cultural relations with China and Portugal, prominent figures in Sino-Western cultural exchange, Chinese philosophical thought, traditional festivals, and China’s intangible cultural heritage. Chui Chi Tou (崔志濤), editor-in-chief of Macao Daily News, stated that the partnership aimed to “leverage the unique role of Macao in the cultural exchanges between China and the West,” according to the report. Marco Galinha, then chairman of the board of Global Media Group, described the partnership as an opportunity to expand readership and advance the group’s international strategy.

China and Cambodia Sign Broadcasting Cooperation Plan

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China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) (國家廣播電視總局) and Cambodia’s Ministry of Information signed an action plan (2025-2026) for broadcasting cooperation during President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) state visit to Cambodia on April 17. The plan outlines 13 collaborative projects spanning audiovisual policy communication, personnel exchanges, and content and technology industry cooperation. Projects include co-producing documentaries “The Story of Peace—Traveling with Zheng He” (和的故事—跟著鄭和遊山海) and “Neighborliness·Cambodia” (睦鄰·柬埔寨), and launching a Cambodian language version of the Lancang-Mekong Audiovisual App. The content selection reflects Beijing’s historical narratives and regional connectivity themes that serve its strategic messaging objectives. The agreement was part of 37 cooperation documents signed during Xi’s two-day visit, which concluded his three-nation Southeast Asian tou,r including Vietnam and Malaysia.

China and Bangladesh Sign MOU on Radio and Television Cooperation

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On July 10, 2024, during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official visit to China, China’s National Radio and Television Administration Director Cao Shumin (曹淑敏) signed a cooperation agreement with Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, represented by Bangladesh Television Director Mahmud Jahangir Alam. The signing was witnessed by both countries’ prime ministers, Li Qiang (李強) and Sheikh Hasina. The agreement establishes cooperation covering policy communication, program exchanges, joint production, personnel training, and technical collaboration in broadcasting and television. The media cooperation occurred during Hasina’s three-day visit from July 8-10, which elevated bilateral relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” However, the visit concluded with Hasina departing Beijing earlier than planned, with reports suggesting dissatisfaction over China providing only limited financial assistance compared to expectations of five billion dollars in loans.

Solomon Islands Media Join BRI Media Seminar

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Media professionals from the Solomon Islands participated in a two-week seminar on “Full-Media Communication for Belt and Road Countries” (一帶一路國家全媒體傳播研修班) in China from June 6-19, 2025, according to a Solomon Islands Ministry of Rural Development press release. The program was organized by the Research and Training Institute of the National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局研究培訓中心), which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. The seminar included 30 media professionals from Belt and Road Initiative countries. The Solomon Islands delegation comprised Frederick Osifelo (Solomon Telekom Company Limited), Stephen Hachi (NIU Solomons), Karl Tokuro Vaekesa (Studio Homegrown Productions), and Stephen Diisango (Ministry of Rural Development). Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in September 2019, Beijing has provided approximately $730 million in financial aid to the Solomon Islands. The training was funded by China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Sichuan Daily and Radio Cooperativa Make Media Deal

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The Sichuan International Communication Center (四川國際傳播中心), operated by the Sichuan Daily Press Group (四川日報報業集團), hosted the signing of a news exchange agreement with Chile’s Radio Cooperativa on August 29, 2024, during the 2024 “Belt and Road” Media Cooperation Forum in Chengdu. The center, which claimed to reach “more than 20 million overseas users,” describes itself as a “key provincial professional institution” under Sichuan’s five-year plan for international communications. Radio Cooperativa, broadcasting since 1935, covers major Chilean cities and provides online content globally. The agencies said they would cooperate on “content interchange, personnel exchange, and activity planning” to promote what they called “people-to-people exchanges” and enhance the “Sino-Chilean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” which Chile and China established in 2016. The Sichuan center is part of China’s broader network of International Communication Centers established by provinces under central government supervision to coordinate foreign-directed media efforts.

Sichuan International Communication Center Signs MOU with Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents

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The Sichuan International Communication Center (四川國際傳播中心), or SICC, a provincial-level international communication body launched in March 2022, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (馬來西亞旅遊業協會) in Kuala Lumpur. The agreement, announced on May 27, 2026, covers resource co-development, joint promotional activities, tourist referrals, service coordination, and policy innovation, with the stated aim of raising the international profile of both destinations and promoting people-to-people exchange. The Sichuan center cited the bilateral context of Xi Jinping’s April 2025 state visit to Malaysia — which it framed as launching a new “golden 50 years” of relations — and noted that a mutual visa-exemption agreement took effect on July 17, 2025. The center also promoted its inbound tourism platform, PandaGuide (熊貓指南), which it reported had attracted more than 1,801 groups of inbound tourists since visa transit policy changes. That same week, PandaGuide’s X account posted propaganda content tied to a Sichuan tour by Taiwanese internet celebrity Holger Chen (陳之漢), also known as “Guan Zhang” (館長), using the phrase “two shores are one family” (兩岸一家) and thanking him for “speaking up for cross-strait relations.”

China Media Group Launches APEC Content Distribution Initiative

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China Media Group (中央广播电视总台), also known as CMG, the state-run media conglomerate directly under the Central Propaganda Department, launched a distribution initiative on October 25 showcasing Chinese television programs across Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member economies. The programming rollout, running through December 2025, coincided with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, from October 30 to November 1, 2025. More than ten CMG productions, including a documentary series on Xi Jinping and Chinese modernization, aired on 22 mainstream media outlets across 14 countries, including Australia, Canada, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia, Thailand, and the United States. CMG Director Shen Haixiong (慎海雄) described the initiative as deepening cultural exchanges with Asia-Pacific nations. Partner broadcasters included Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Indonesia’s national broadcaster Radio Republik Indonesia, South Korea’s OBS, Thailand’s Thai PBS, and Peru’s national broadcasting group.

StarTimes Media and NRTA Sign Content Sharing Agreement

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China’s National Radio and Television Administration (國家廣播電視總局) and StarTimes Media Kenya signed a media cooperation agreement in Nairobi on July 1, 2024. NRTA Deputy Director Dong Xin (董新), who previously served as China Mobile CEO before his appointment to the media regulator in January 2024, said the deal would “help build bridges of friendship and mutual understanding” through content sharing, according to state media. The event launched “China TV Theater” and included a licensing agreement with Kenya’s Citizen Television for the drama series “Welcome to Milele Village” (歡迎來到麥樂村), which tells the story of Chinese medical teams working in Africa. Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Edward Kisiang’ani said they hoped for “two-way exchanges” where “Kenyan content will also be viewed in China,” as reported by the outlet. The NRTA, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, actively promotes China’s international media partnerships through state-controlled entities and cultural exchanges.