On August 27, 2021, the Chinese Embassy in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, donated computers to the Island Sun newspaper in a ceremony where the Deputy Head of Mission personally presented the equipment to the publication’s owner. Embassy officials framed the donation as part of their commitment to supporting local media during difficult times, specifically citing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper’s leadership welcomed what they described as a “timely donation” and expressed interest in strengthening future collaboration with the Embassy. The donation is an example of China’s broader overseas media strategy of providing technical equipment and resources to local news organizations as a means of building relationships and influence.
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Solomon Islands opened on September 21, 2019, shortly after the Solomon Islands switched its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China and established formal relations with the People’s Republic of China. The embassy was at the center of a scandal in 2023, when, according to leaked documents obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), it donated equipment and funds to various media outlets in the Solomon Islands in an apparent attempt to secure favorable coverage.
The Island Sun is a privately owned daily newspaper based in the Solomon Islands that launched its first issue on October 6, 2006. Operating from its headquarters in Honiara, the newspaper provides coverage across politics, sports, trade, and economic affairs in the Pacific island nation. The publication’s editorial approach to China-related content has been notably positive in tone and framing — including straight and uncritical coverage affirming China’s position on Taiwan. At the same time, Island Sun ceased reporting on Taiwan-related developments in 2021, followed by the discontinuation of Hong Kong coverage in 2022. These editorial decisions occurred within the broader context of evolving China-Solomon Islands relations, including practical support such as the August 27, 2021, donation of computer equipment from the People’s Republic of China Embassy in Honiara during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2025 South and Southeast Asian Media Network Annual Meeting (2025南亞東南亞媒體聯盟年會) was held on September 5, 2025, in Kunming, bringing together representatives from 11 countries including China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka. The event featured what Chinese state media characterized as “high-level participation” from propaganda and information ministers, underscoring the official and diplomatic core of what the Chinese hosts portrayed as a meeting about regional media cooperation. China Daily publisher Qu Yingpu (曲瑩璞) and Yunnan’s top propaganda official, Zeng Yan (曾艷), delivered keynote addresses. Zeng emphasized the need to build “a more united model of global media cooperation” (更團結的世界媒體合作典範) — a reference to China’s ambition of creating media industry blocs to counter what the leadership regards as an imbalance in Western dominance of global public opinion. Attendees launched new cooperation projects and discussed leveraging artificial intelligence for regional media development, with Myanmar’s information minister noting the need to learn from China’s technological advances. The meeting presented itself as a platform for “Global South” media collaboration while advancing China’s narrative influence through coordinated messaging and technology transfer initiatives. Among the foreign participants mentioned in news reporting was Vansay Tavinyan, editor-in-chief of Pasaxon newspaper (Laos); representatives from the Thai News Agency under Thailand’s state-owned public broadcaster, MCOT (Mass Communication Organization of Thailand); Qing Lian, the head of Cambodia’s Ministry of Information; and U Maung Maung Ohn, Myanmar’s information minister.
On September 10, 2025, the Liaoning Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office (遼寧省委台辦) and Liaoning Communication University (遼寧傳媒學院) hosted a cross-strait media symposium titled “Liaoning-Taiwan Perspectives: A Mirror for the Future” (遼台視界 鏡啟未來) in Shenyang. Nearly 40 participants attended, including journalists from Taiwan, social media personalities, reporters from Hong Kong, and professors from Liaoning Communication University. Participants included Yuan Tianming (袁天明), chairman of the little-known Chinese Journalists Association (中華新聞記者協會), or CJA TW, who was misidentified as chairman of the Association of Taiwan Journalists (台灣新聞記者協會), a professional non-governmental organization composed of Taiwanese journalists. Yuan characterized the event as “meaningful for deepening cross-strait exchange” and complimented China’s grand official commemoration on September 3 of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. During the symposium, three Taiwanese nationals identified as social media personalities (自媒體人)— Sun Ziyun (孫子芸), James (邱慶齡), and Wu Zhichun (吳志淳) — shared their personal experiences working in China. Sun Ziyun described Liaoning as her “second hometown,” while Wu Zhichun promoted the province’s policies for Taiwanese entrepreneurs, including office space, tax benefits, and housing subsidies. James, visiting Liaoning for the first time, shared his experience of having participated in the September 3 military parade. While identified as social media personalities, the three Taiwanese participants have chiefly been promoters of China and its message of cross-strait integration, and seem to have little appreciable impact inside Taiwan.
The Liaoning Provincial Taiwan Affairs Office (遼寧省人民政府台灣事務辦公室) is a provincial government agency responsible for coordinating cross-strait exchanges and implementing propaganda activities in line with Chinese Communist Party objectives regarding Taiwan. Established as part of the broader Taiwan Affairs Office network that was created in 1988 under the leadership of the CCP’s Central Committee and State Council, the local office manages all Taiwan-related policies, including personnel exchanges, seminars, and international visits.
The Chinese Journalists’ Association of Taiwan (中華新聞記者協會) is a Taiwan-based media organization that received approval for its charter on February 8, 2012. The nonprofit association — which should not be confused with the more recognized Association of Taiwan Journalists (台灣新聞記者協會), a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) — operates with a board of 25 directors and seven supervisors elected for four-year terms. The organization says that its purpose is to promote research in journalism and foster national social development by hosting activities such as journalism competitions, cultural exhibitions, and scholarship programs. However, the association operates in the gray area between professional journalism and advocacy for cross-strait media relations. While maintaining the institutional trappings of a standard media association, and promoting press freedom in its charter, the organization also defines its role as “promoting cross-strait and international news exchange,” suggesting alignment with China. The organization’s board participated in the “Fifth Cross-Strait Media Summit” (第五届两岸媒体人峰会) in Beijing in October 2024, where representatives affirmed that “Taiwanese people are Chinese people,” and emphasized the media’s role as a bridge across the strait. The organization and its leadership regularly appear in Chinese state media coverage, including from agencies linked to the United Front Work Department. The association has also sponsored events such as the “Liaoning-Taiwan Perspectives: Envisioning the Future” (遼台視界，鏡啟未來) — with programming that frames China as an economic opportunity for Taiwanese while subtly advancing unification themes.
MCOT Public Company Limited (บริษัท อสมท จำกัด มหาชน) is Thailand’s state-owned public broadcaster, established as Thai Television Company Limited on November 10, 1952, and reorganized as the Mass Communication Organization of Thailand in 1977. MCOT operates under the Ministry of Finance, running four main business segments: television broadcasting through MCOT 9 Television Station and 35 provincial network stations; radio operations via 47 central stations covering 92.4 percent of Thailand; digital terrestrial television under DVB-T2 standards; and digital/new media services including on-demand content through internet platforms. MCOT reported a net loss of 316.7 million baht ($8.98 million USD) in 2024 on revenues of 1.17 billion baht ($33.15 million USD), a sharp reversal from 2023’s profit of 587.4 million baht ($16.65 million USD) on 2.38 billion baht ($67.5 million USD) revenue, according to company financial statements, reflecting significant challenges facing traditional state broadcasters in Thailand’s evolving media landscape.
Thai News Agency is the national news service of Thailand and a subsidiary of MCOT (Mass Communication Organization of Thailand), the country’s state broadcaster. Founded on June 16, 1977, the agency serves as Thailand’s primary wire service, responsible for producing, gathering, analyzing and distributing news content across multiple platforms including radio, television, digital media, internet and social media channels. Operating under state media oversight, Thai News Agency functions as the official voice of the Thai government, providing domestic and international news coverage while supporting MCOT’s broader broadcasting operations.
