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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Senegalese News Agency

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The Senegalese News Agency, or APS, serves as Senegal’s official state news agency, established by government order in 1959. 59-054 as a public establishment with industrial and commercial character. The agency changed status to a “national company” in 2019. Currently led by Director General Momar Diong (莫馬爾·迪翁), who was appointed in October 2024, replacing former director Thierno Ahmadou Sy. APS operates from its headquarters at Avenue 5, No. 1 in Dakar. Following its 1972 reform, the agency inherited Regional Information Centers to expand national coverage through regional bureaus. Its website, launched in 1998, was among Senegal’s top 20 most visited portals as of 2010 according to International Communication Office rankings. The agency’s mission involves collecting, processing, and disseminating official state information through multiple platforms while representing Senegal’s governmental perspective.

AdnKronos

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Adnkronos is an Italian multimedia news agency founded in July 1963 through the merger of two earlier agencies, Kronos and ADN. Headquartered in Rome, it has been directed by Giuseppe Marra since 1981, when he became editor-in-chief, later acquiring 98 percent ownership by 1990. The agency has expanded significantly, establishing specialized divisions including Adnkronos Salute for health news in 1995 and Labitalia for labor issues in 2001. In 2003, it launched AKI-Adnkronos International, a multilingual service broadcasting in English and Arabic. The agency has partnered with various international outlets, including a 2019 cooperation agreement with Spain’s Europa Press and a 2016 communications agreement with Azerbaijan’s state agency Azertac.

Government of the Macau SAR

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The Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region (澳門特別行政區政府) is the executive authority of Macau, established on December 20, 1999, following the transfer of sovereignty from Portugal to China. Under the Basic Law and “One Country, Two Systems” (一國兩制) framework, the government operates with a degree of autonomy while remaining under Beijing’s jurisdiction for foreign policy and defense matters. The Chief Executive, selected by a 300-member election committee and appointed by the Central People’s Government, heads the administration and appoints an Executive Council of 7 to 11 members. Principal officials include five Secretaries covering administration, economy, security, social affairs, and public works, along with the Commissioner Against Corruption and Commissioner of Audit, all nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by Beijing. In May 2023, Macau expanded its national security law to widen punishments for opposition to Beijing, including non-violent acts of secession and criticism of central government departments, following similar restrictions implemented in Hong Kong.

RTVC Sistema de Medios Públicos

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RTVC Sistema de Medios Públicos (Radio Televisión Nacional de Colombia) is Colombia’s public broadcasting service, operating under the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications. Created in October 2004 through Decree 3525 after dissolving Inravisión, RTVC manages two national television channels—Señal Colombia (cultural and educational programming) and Canal Institucional (government information)—plus one regional channel, Canal Trece. The system also operates two national radio networks: Radio Nacional de Colombia (cultural and informative) and Radiónica (youth-oriented music), broadcasting on 73 frequencies nationwide. Additionally, RTVC maintains 16 “Peace Stations” established under the 2016 peace agreement, runs the digital platform RTVCPlay, and preserves Colombia’s audiovisual heritage through Señal Memoria.

Polish Press Agency

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The Polish Press Agency or PAP was founded in 1918 as the Polish Telegraphic Agency (Polska Agencja Telegraficzna, PAT), making it one of the world’s oldest wire services. Poland’s national news agency produces political, economic, social, and cultural content with headquarters in Warsaw and 24 regional bureaus, employing nearly 500 staff as of 2013. The agency claims its content reaches 96.5 percent of Polish Internet users via online media and reported a turnover of 56.6 million PLN in 2022. Culture Minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz placed PAP into liquidation on December 27, 2023, after President Andrzej Duda vetoed a funding bill, though this action was “not intended to impact PAP’s day-to-day running.” The liquidation was entered into the National Court Register on January 29, 2024.

Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship

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The France-China Friendship Exchange Association, established on November 13, 1989, is a Paris-based organization founded by Louis Marchandier, who serves as its current president. The organization claims to “build a bridge of friendship and business opportunities between Europe and China,” providing consulting services and facilitating exchanges. Jean-Paul Bonnes, described as an honorary deputy director at the French Interior Ministry, joined as vice president to strengthen ties with French government departments. The association has collaborated with the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (中國人民對外友好協會), the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, and various Chinese government bodies, saying it works to promote bilateral cultural, economic, technological, and commercial exchanges. The Chinese organization has been described as the “public face” of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department. Marchandier previously served as legal counsel for Total Group and various French banking and retail organizations.

Silk Road News

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Launched on October 1, 2019, the Chinese Silk Road News Network presents itself as an independent media platform dedicated to promoting Sino-Arab relations and the Belt and Road Initiative. While claiming to be a “neutral” news outlet, the network appears to be a carefully crafted propaganda tool designed to advance Chinese soft power in the Arab world. Founded by Abdel Kader Khalil, a former head of an international Arab journalists’ union, the network purports to bridge cultural gaps between China and Arab countries. However, its stated mission of “revealing the true image of China to the world” suggests a clear agenda of image management rather than objective reporting. The network provides a platform for Chinese writers and China-friendly Arab journalists to publish content that overwhelmingly portrays China’s international initiatives in a positive light, raising serious questions about its editorial independence and actual journalistic integrity. While there is no evidence that the outlet is operated or influenced directly by PRC entities, content from official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and CGTN, is prevalent.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (俄羅斯聯邦外交部), or MFA Russia, is the central government institution responsible for leading Russia’s foreign policy and international relations. The ministry in its current form was established on December 25, 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as the successor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. Headquartered in Moscow, the ministry is headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and operates under the authority of the Russian President. The MFA manages Russia’s diplomatic missions worldwide, conducts bilateral and multilateral negotiations, and implements foreign policy strategy. The ministry includes 39 departments divided into territorial and functional divisions, employing thousands of diplomats across its central office, embassies, consulates, and international organization representations globally.

World Chinese Media Co-Operation Union

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Established in 2009, the Global Chinese Media Cooperative Union is a global organization operated by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department through China News Service (中國新聞社), one of two official wire services in China. While the union claims to be a “non-profit organization voluntarily comprised of overseas Chinese-language media outlets,” it functions as a vehicle to promote Chinese Party-state narratives. The organization publicly states its mission to support official Chinese Communist Party agendas such as the Belt and Road initiative and to “rationally guide the public opinion of ethnic Chinese.” China News Service, which oversees the union, was established on October 1, 1952, and was absorbed into the United Front Work Department in 2018 when its previous oversight body, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, was merged into the UFWD.