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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Taiwan.cn

Taiwan.cn (中國臺灣網)  was launched in July 1999 as a news website, operating under the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office (國務院臺灣事務辦公室), Beijing’s primary government agency for Taiwan policy formulation and implementation. The site serves as a key platform for advancing official Chinese positions on cross-strait relations while presenting itself as providing “authoritative reporting” on Taiwan affairs and boasting of being beloved by internet users on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The platform is available in three languages—simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English. Beyond standard news coverage, it produces targeted content, including “Two Straits Headlines”  (兩岸頭條) and “Two Straits Quick Commentary” (兩岸快評), which serve to disseminate Beijing’s messaging on Taiwan-related developments to both mainland and Taiwanese audiences.

Xiamen University Hosts China-ASEAN Journalism Education Conference

The “China-ASEAN Journalism Education Conference” (中國—東盟未來新聞傳播教育會議), bringing together approximately 30 academic representatives from nine ASEAN countries alongside Chinese academics, was held from September 13-14, 2025, in the port city of Xiamen. Co-organized by the School of Journalism and Communication of Xiamen University (廈門大學新聞傳播學院) and the university’s Center for International Communication Research (廈門大學國際傳播研究中心), the conference revolved around the theme of journalism and the role of artificial intelligence. Indian national Daya K. Thussu (達雅·屠蘇), president of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), participated in sessions focused on artificial intelligence’s impact on journalism. He said that journalism education “needs to summarize the past to face the future” and stressed the importance of cooperation among ASEAN journalism education institutions to address future challenges posed by technological developments and changing media landscapes. The conference, which emphasized “building a China-ASEAN journalism education community” (构建中国—东盟新闻传播教育共同体), reflected Beijing’s broader regional foreign policy strategy, using partnerships in media, education, and culture to further its geopolitical goals. Chinese media reports indicated participation by representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Universiti Teknologi Brunei

The University of Technology Brunei, also known as Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB), is a public research university located in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was originally established as the Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) in January 1986. The institution specializes in engineering, business, computing, design, applied sciences, and mathematics. While no formal framework for cooperation with China was found, UTB maintains academic engagement with Chinese institutions through conference participation. In September 2025, two UTB faculty members — Lee Kok Yueh, an assistant professor at the Center for Communication, Teaching and Learning, and Hjh Shanafizahwatty binti Hj Mat Salleh, a lecturer and communication coordinator — participated in the China-ASEAN Future Journalism and Communication Education Conference (中國—東盟未來新聞傳播教育會議).

Xiamen University’s School of Journalism and Communication

Xiamen University’s School of Journalism and Communication (廈門大學新聞傳播學院) is located within Xiamen University in Fujian Province and affiliated, like all programs in Chinese higher education, with China’s Ministry of Education. First offering journalism education in 1922, according to its online profile, the university initially established the Department of Journalism and Communication in 1983, which in 2007 was upgraded to a formal school. The school comprises three departments — Journalism, Advertising, and Communication — alongside two research institutes that focus on communication studies and branding and advertising studies. The school has developed a partnership with China News Service (中國新聞社), the government newswire under the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party. It also established cooperation in 2021 with the Philippines’ Chinese-language World News (菲律賓世界日報).

LSPR Institute of Communication and Business

LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, originally established as the London School of Public Relations-Jakarta on July 1, 1992, is one of several private higher education institutions in Indonesia specializing in communication and business studies. Founded by Prita Kemal Gani (普麗塔·凱馬爾·加尼), the institute operates campuses in Jakarta, Bekasi, and Bali. While no formal framework for cooperation with China was found, LSPR Institute of Communication and Business maintains academic engagement with Chinese institutions on media topics and issues through conference participation. In September 2025, one faculty member — Yuliana Riana Prasetyawati, M.M., dean of the Faculty of Business at LSPR Institute — took part in the China-ASEAN Future Journalism and Communication Education Conference (中國—東盟未來新聞傳播教育會議).

Xi Pens Article for Tajikistan Media

On July 5, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) published a signed article titled “Working Together for a Brighter Future of China-Tajikistan Relations” (共創中塔關係美好明天) in Tajikistan’s Narodnaya Gazeta newspaper and the state-run Khovar News Agency. The placement of the article corresponded with his state visit to the country, his third since coming to office in late 2012. The visit followed Xi’s attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan. In the article Xi emphasized deepening bilateral cooperation and announced the establishment of a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” between China and Tajikistan. Xi met with President Emomali Rahmon (埃莫馬利·拉赫蒙) during the visit, where they signed a joint statement on the upgraded relationship. The Narodnaya Gazeta is a government-owned Russian-language newspaper published every three weeks. Khovar is Tajikistan’s official state news agency, established in 1925.Announcement of the publication of Xi’s article was also made through the website of “The Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission,” using coverage by the state-run China Daily. The commission is associated with the SCO but actually run by the Chinese government, with a member of the CCP Central Committee as president — showing how China uses proxy groupings and forums to assist with its external propaganda work.

Narodnaya Gazeta

Narodnaya Gazeta (Народная газета) is the state-run newspaper of the Republic of Tajikistan, published weekly in Russian. Founded in 1925 as Sovetsky Tajikistan (Советский Таджикистан), it adopted its current name following Tajikistan’s independence in 1991. The newspaper covers general news, government policy, foreign policy, economics, and national development initiatives. The outlet should not be confused with the Russian-language Narodnaya Gazeta based in Belarus, which has close ties with the Russian regime of Vladimir Putin.

Information Office of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

The Information Office of the Guangxi Autonomous Region (廣西壯族自治區人民政府新聞辦公室) is the office directly under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership of Guangxi responsible for external communication on behalf of the region’s government. Though the office operates under the People’s Government of Guangxi, it is effectively the same office as the propaganda office of the provincial committee of the CCP. Provincial-level information offices in China coordinate media relations and policy communication within the State Council system, but at the national level the State Council Information Office (SCIO), which was established in January 1991, is similarly linked to the Party’s Central Propaganda Department, and officials are often listed as having titles in both offices.

CMG and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Sign Cooperation MOU

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Pakistan’s state broadcaster, signed a cooperation memorandum with China Media Group on September 2, 2025, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The agreement was among 14 bilateral media cooperation deals CMG struck with broadcasters from 13 countries during the summit, covering news reporting, joint programming, cultural activities, technological innovation, industry development, personnel exchanges, and media resource sharing. The CMG partnership with PBC is part of China’s broader efforts to strengthen SCO media cooperation.