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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

OCMCO Holds Annual Conference in Changsha

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On August 26, 2025, the Overseas Chinese Media Cooperation Organization, or OCMCO (海外華文傳媒合作組織), held its 15th annual conference in Changsha, bringing together approximately 120 senior representatives from 84 Chinese-language outlets across 37 countries and regions, according to reports from official media. The event was hosted by Hong Kong’s Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group (大公文匯傳媒集團) and jointly organized by the Propaganda Office of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CCP. The meeting released the “Changsha Initiative” (長沙倡議), which lays out five points of action for overseas Chinese-language media, including: preserving collective memory (守護集體記憶); carrying forward cultural heritage (傳承文化根脈); addressing global concerns (回應國際關切); strengthening collaboration among Chinese media (深化協作互鑒); and embracing “a shared mission for the times” (錨定時代使命). The language in the state-backed initiative makes clear that it is an effort by the government to coordinate diaspora media outlets and align them with Beijing’s narratives. Li Dahong (李大宏), Chairman of OCMCO and chairman and editor-in-chief of Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, delivered the keynote address, describing overseas Chinese-language media as “bridges linking China and the world.“ He referenced Xi Jinping’s concept of “community of shared future for mankind,” which is core to China’s foreign policy. The Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group is controlled by the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong and operates state-run newspapers Ta Kung Pao (大公報) and Wen Wei Po (文匯報).

China Weekly

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China Weekly (中國週報) is a bilingual Chinese-Arabic newspaper established in 2012 by Chinese entrepreneur Ma Qiang (馬強) in Egypt. The publication covers Chinese economics, politics, and culture for both Chinese and Egyptian audiences, maintaining cooperation with China News Service (中新社) since its inception. The paper regularly reposts content from CNS, which is operated by the United Front Work Department of the CCP. The newspaper and its publisher openly position themselves as serving to “tell China’s story well in both Chinese and Arabic languages” (用中阿雙語講好中國故事), a framing characteristic of Chinese state-linked overseas media, following Xi Jinping’s 2013 media speech on external propaganda. Ma Qiang has described his mission as presenting China’s image to the world from his position bridging Chinese and Egyptian communities. The newspaper represents part of China’s expanding media presence in the Middle East, particularly as part of the broader Belt and Road Initiative engagement with Arab nations.

Kansai Chinese Times

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The Kansai Chinese Times (關西華文時報) is a Chinese-language newspaper serving overseas Chinese communities in Japan, founded in August 2002 by Osaka-based Acacia Communications Co. Ltd (阿卡西亞通訊有限公司), or Akashia Komyunikēshonzu. Initially targeting the ethnic Chinese population in the Kansai region, the publication expanded its distribution nationwide and launched a website in 2017. Published in both Chinese and Japanese, the Kansai Chinese Times covers news and information about the local Chinese community, employment and educational opportunities, and Japan-China exchanges — as well as sections on Kansai news, services and lifestyle. The newspaper positions itself as serving as a “bridge” between China and Japan, framing characteristic of Chinese state-linked overseas media. The bridging theme is reinforced through several ongoing columns, including “Bridging Japan and China” (日中を翔る), a series of interviews with individuals who work between the two countries. According to the site’s “About Us” profile, it was recognized in 2018 as “one of the Top 100 Most Influential Chinese Media Worldwide” by the official China News Service (中國新聞社), an outlet under the United Front Work Department of the CCP, and Communication University of China (中國傳媒大學). The public activities of the outlet routinely have participation from Chinese diplomats in Osaka.

United News

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Led by publisher and editor-in-chief Ji Yuping (季毓萍) and operating from Budapest’s Chinatown, United News Hungary (匈牙利聯合報) was founded in April 1999 as a Chinese-language weekly newspaper distributed within Hungary and neighboring countries. The publication positions itself as providing “fair and objective reporting” – though it maintains close ties to official Chinese media organizations. In 2007, United Daily became one of the first eight overseas media partners of People’s Daily Overseas Edition (人民日報海外版), serving as the only Hungarian partner in this arrangement. The publication also has a partnership with China News Service (中國新聞社), or CNS, which has established overseas cooperation programs with Chinese-language media globally since 2007. CNS is operated by the United Front Work Department of the CCP Central Committee, charged with overseas influence-related work. United Daily  maintains a social media presence on WeChat,

Xi Jinping Pens Article in Hungarian Newspaper

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Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled “Embarking on a Golden Voyage in China-Hungary Relations” (攜手引領中匈關係駛入“黃金航道”)  in the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet on May 8, 2024, ahead of his state visit to Hungary. The article praised Hungary’s historical figures, including poet Sándor Petőfi and composer Franz Liszt, while describing the bilateral friendship as “mellow and rich as Tokaji wine” – a traditional Hungarian alcohol. This strategic media engagement preceded Xi’s May 8-10 visit, during which China and Hungary announced an upgrade to an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.” The visit served as the final leg of Xi’s five-day European tour that had included stops in France and Serbia, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán serving as host. Hungary’s position as Xi’s concluding European destination underscored Budapest’s role as Beijing’s most reliable partner within the European Union, significant as other EU nations increasingly seek to reduce their economic dependence on China.

Magyar Nemzet

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Magyar Nemzet was founded in August 1938 by Sándor Pethő as a conservative daily broadsheet newspaper. The paper survived World War II and communist rule, becoming Hungary’s leading conservative publication. Businessman Lajos Simicska purchased the paper in 2000 and used it to support Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party with favorable coverage funded by state advertising contracts. After Simicska’s public fallout with Orbán in 2015, the government cut state funding and the paper became critical of the regime. Simicska closed Magyar Nemzet in April 2018 after Fidesz’s election victory, citing financial problems. The government relaunched the brand in February 2019 as a pro-government publication under the state-aligned KESMA media conglomerate, completing Orbán’s capture of Hungary’s most prestigious conservative newspaper. The relaunched version features a dedicated section promoting Orbán’s policies and activities.

Myanmar Narrative

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The Myanmar Narrative is a think tank established on January 14, 2025, operating under the supervision of Myanmar’s Ministry of Information (MOI). The organization functions primarily as a vehicle for disseminating the military junta’s messaging about developments in Myanmar, and a profile by the MOI clearly says the think tank aims to promote Myanmar’s perspectives on domestic and international affairs and “provide counter-narratives to unfounded criticisms.” According to the Burmese exile outlet The Irrawaddy, the Myanmar Narrative “has been actively working as a propaganda machine for the regime.” 

Myanmar Think Tank Signs Xinhua Cooperation Deal

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On August 22, the Myanmar Narrative Think Tank and Xinhua News Agency signed a cooperation agreement in Yangon under the Global South Joint Communication Partnership Program (全球南方聯合傳播夥伴計劃), a Xinhua-led initiative that claims to promote cooperation between media outlets and research institutions from developing countries. Chairman Ko Ko (高高) of the Myanmar Narrative Think Tank and Xinhua’s Yangon Bureau Chief Zhang Dongqiang (張東強) signed the agreement, with Ko Ko stating the partnership aims to “strengthen people-to-people relations” and “contribute to peace, prosperity and sustainable development.” Zhang said during the signing ceremony that the agreement reflects Xinhua’s efforts to work with organizations in the Global South to “amplify their voices on the international stage” — language echoing China’s portrayal of itself in foreign policy as a champion of developing countries.

CMG Signs Media Cooperation Agreement with NMG

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Russia’s National Media Group (NMG) and China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) signed a cooperation agreement on May 8, 2025, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow for Victory Day commemorations. The agreement covers content exchange, joint production, and technology sharing between the two state media entities. NMG’s CEO said the partnership was “an important step,” asserting (apparently citing social media views) that NMG’s animated series “Three Cats” (三只小猫) — a series by director Dmitry Vysotsky about a family of felines — has achieved “several billion views in China.” The signing coincided with an announcement that “Red Silk,” a Russian-Chinese detective film about 1927 Trans-Siberian Railway espionage, received China’s “dragon seal” certification, a difficult-to-obtain permit by film control authorities allowing unlimited theatrical distribution of films in the country.