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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Arab States Broadcasting Union

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The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) is a pan-Arab broadcasting organization  established in February 1969 in Khartoum, Sudan, under the League of Arab States system, and now headquartered in Tunis, Tunisia. The union, with member state seats and a rotating chairmanship, defines its mission as strengthening cooperation among Arab broadcasters through news exchange, programming services, sports rights acquisition, and technical training. The organization maintains partnerships with the European Broadcasting Union and UNESCO. 

Supreme Council for the Regulation of the Media

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Egypt’s Supreme Council for the Regulation of the Media is a government regulatory body established under Law No. 92 of 2016 and first formed in April 2017. Although Egypt’s Constitution describes it as an independent body, the President directly appoints its head and most members. The council licenses all media outlets, newspapers, and websites operating in Egypt; it has the authority to block websites, suspend publications, and prevent content deemed threatening to “national security.” The SCMR has been criticized for creating “a restrictive media regulatory scheme that grants authorities broad discretion to censor or block content,” severely constraining independent journalism in Egypt.

The People’s Government of Chongqing Municipality

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The People’s Government of Chongqing Municipality (重慶市人民政府) is the administrative body of China’s fourth and largest direct-controlled municipality in China. The mayor runs the government but is subordinate to the municipal party secretary, the top leader. It comprises a mayor, vice mayors, a General Office, and numerous bureaus handling public security, judicial affairs, and civil, economic, social, and cultural matters. The government was established in December 1949, restructured as the Chongqing Revolutionary Committee (重慶革命委員會) during the Cultural Revolution in June 1968, and re-established to its current form in March 1980. Chongqing has often been a focus of policy experimentation, including the formation in 2018 of China’s first international communication center, which operates the iChongqing platform for external propaganda.

People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

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The People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (新疆維吾爾自治區人民政府) is the provincial-level administrative authority governing Xinjiang, China’s largest province by area. Established in 1955 following the founding of the autonomous region, it operates under the dual leadership of the Chinese Communist Party’s Xinjiang Committee and China’s State Council. The government has overseen well-documented persecution of the Uyghur population, including mass detention, surveillance, and cultural suppression. Headquartered in Urumqi, the regional capital, it manages Xinjiang’s designated role—a central theme in external propaganda—as a strategic gateway for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and oversees the region’s significant energy resources and agricultural production.

China Gives Journalists Tour of Xinjiang Exhibition During China-Central Asia Forum

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On November 5, 2025, delegates including scores of unnamed journalists from Central Asia attended the 12th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in Xinjiang, where they were taken on a tour of an exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Among the participants was Jawad Ali (جواد علي) (乔一), a correspondent for Al Mayadeen TV in Lebanon, who reported from the event expressing interest in covering more Xinjiang news. This represents a typical example of China’s external propaganda strategy of inviting foreign journalists on state-organized, all-expenses-paid visits to Xinjiang—a region facing significant international scrutiny over human rights issues. These carefully curated press tours focus on issues Beijing regards as core national interests, aiming to generate favorable international coverage. Footage of the tour is available here.

Fourth China-Germany Media Dialogue Held in Beijing

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On December 16, 2014, China and Germany held the Fourth China-Germany Media Dialogue in Beijing, bringing together nearly 40 representatives including officials, diplomats, and media professionals. Cai Mingzhao (蔡名照), director of China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO), which is the same office as the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, highlighted positive results from media cooperation including regular dialogue, joint interviews, and joint program production. He called for enhanced communication in journalism, technology, and management, particularly exploring convergence between traditional and emerging media. German Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stephan Steinlein emphasized China’s increasingly important global role and stated that globalization requires deepened mutual understanding, especially in media. Participants discussed pragmatic cooperation, social media development, and media education.

Xi Jinping Article Published in Senegal Media

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On July 20, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) published a signed article titled “China and Senegal Stand United” in Senegal’s Le Soleil newspaper ahead of his state visit, promoting Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and deeper China-Africa ties. The piece emphasized shared development goals, infrastructure partnerships, and mutual support on international issues, while invoking “historical friendship” dating back to the diplomatic relations established in 1971, although those ties were suspended from 1996 to 2005 when Senegal recognized Taiwan. During Xi’s visit, Senegal became the first West African country to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi Jinping Op-Ed Runs in Senegalese Media

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On May 7, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Senegal’s Le Soleil newspaper ahead of his state visit to Russia for the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, the term Russia uses for World War II. Originally published by Xinhua, the piece called on the international community to preserve a “correct view” of World War II history and safeguard the post-war international order. Xi emphasized China and the Soviet Union’s “decisive contributions” to defeating fascism, defended the UN-centered international system, and advocated for “genuine multilateralism” based on dialogue rather than confrontation. The article warned that any attempt to “distort” wartime history or “tarnish” China’s contributions was “doomed to failure.”

Fifth China-Germany Media Dialogue Held in Berlin

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On November 26, 2015, China and Germany held the Fifth China-Germany Media Dialogue in Berlin, co-hosted by China’s State Council Information Office (SCIO) and the German Federal Foreign Office. Senior Chinese propaganda official Jing Junhai (景俊海), deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, which is the same office as the SCIO, urged German media to provide “comprehensive and objective” coverage of China, claiming this would reduce Germany’s “reporting deficit” and corresponding “cognitive deficit” about China. Jing called for media cooperation based on “equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation,” positioning the dialogue as supporting the China-Germany comprehensive strategic partnership. German State Secretary Steinlein emphasized building a platform for media exchange. The annual dialogue, established in 2011 as an intergovernmental media exchange mechanism, alternates between the two countries.