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All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Summit 2018

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The Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and China’s state-run People’s Daily (人民日報) co-hosted the Lancang-Mekong River Cooperation Media Summit (瀾滄江—湄公河合作媒體峰會) in Vientiane from July 1-3, 2018. The meeting was held under the theme “Cooperation in Lancang-Mekong Community for a Bright Future” and gathered senior officials and media representatives from six countries along the river system: Laos, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The summit focused on evaluating the implementation of a joint declaration signed in Beijing the previous year and strengthening cooperation in media, particularly in new media and tourism promotion. The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation initiative, established in 2015 by China with the five Mekong countries, represents a multilateral framework for regional cooperation.

China Daily Runs Insert in Des Moines Register

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A four-page China Daily supplement in the Sunday Des Moines Register in September 2018 sought to undermine Iowa farm support for President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, according to political experts. The Chinese government-backed English-language newspaper’s insert highlighted mutual U.S.-China trade benefits and President Xi Jinping’s three-decade Iowa relationship, aiming to pressure the Trump administration by showing potential Republican electoral costs. Political scientist David Skidmore said the effort targeted midterm elections, though he questioned its effectiveness compared to farmers’ economic concerns. Iowa farmers faced projected $2.2 billion losses from trade wars, with ripple effects across the state’s economy and tax revenues.

Cross-Strait Media Tour of Liaoning

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On August 14, 2025, in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, the All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots (中華全國台灣同胞聯誼會), a “people’s organization” directly under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, launched its 2025 “Cross-Strait Media Personnel Liaoning Tour” with the Liaoning Provincial Federation of Taiwan Compatriots (遼寧省台灣同胞聯誼會) as host, bringing together over 20 media representatives from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong for a seven-day itinerary. According to Yang Yizhou (楊毅周), vice chairman of the federation, participants visited historical sites including the September 18 Historical Museum (九一八歷史博物館), commemorating Japan’s 1931 invasion of Manchuria, and the Memorial to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (抗美援朝紀念館), dedicated to China’s intervention in the Korean War in October 1950. According to state media sources, Taiwanese businesspeople in Liaoning were also interviewed during the tour, which leaders said conveyed “positive energy” in cross-strait exchanges — a reference to a phrase Xi Jinping has used to signal non-critical media coverage in line with CCP agendas. A full list of participants was not given in media reports on the tour, but coverage from Phoenix Satellite TV indicated that social media influencers from Taiwan were present on the tour. One supposed influencer mentioned prominently in related reports was Lee Tung-en (李東恩), who does not appear in Taiwanese news reports or other sources outside the PRC. Another participant, identified as “veteran Taiwanese broadcast journalist Fan Qiwei (樊奇為), likewise appears only in PRC news reports related to cross-straits ties — and in 2022 was mentioned in propaganda reports along with his wife as “Tianjin’s most beautiful family.”

All China Journalists Association Signs Agreement with the Association of Overseas Chinese Media in Europe

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The All-China Journalists Association (中華全國新聞工作者協會) signed a cooperation memorandum with the Association of Overseas Chinese Media in Europe (歐洲華文傳媒協會) on December 2, 2024, during a delegation visit to Austria. The agreement establishes frameworks for joint exchange visits, news interviews, external communication, news seminars, and cultural activities between the organizations. The memorandum also creates an overseas Chinese media “journalists’ home” to support Chinese media professionals in Europe. The All-China Journalists Association, a state-affiliated organization that operates under Chinese Communist Party leadership, has been criticized by press freedom advocates for its role in China’s media control system.  

Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises of Indonesia

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The Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises of Indonesia ( Kementerian Badan Usaha Milik Negara) is the Indonesian government body responsible for overseeing the nation’s state-owned enterprises. Established in 1998 with Tanri Abeng as the first minister, it manages 114 state-owned enterprises and 28 subsidiaries across 12 sectors as of December 2019. The ministry’s mandate includes formulating strategic business initiatives, strengthening competitiveness, enhancing performance, and creating sustainable growth for state enterprises. Its primary role is to assist the president in managing government affairs related to state-owned companies, with oversight extending to entities controlled by these enterprises both directly and indirectly, supporting Indonesia’s broader economic development goals.

Chinese Embassy in Indonesia

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The Chinese Embassy in Indonesia (中華人民共和國駐印度尼西亞共和國大使館) serves as the diplomatic mission of the People’s Republic of China in Jakarta, representing one of the most complex bilateral relationships in Southeast Asia. China and Indonesia established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1950, making Indonesia the first ASEAN country to recognize the PRC. However, diplomatic ties were suspended on October 30, 1967, following the September 30, 1965, coup attempt that led to the rise of President Suharto’s New Order regime. After 23 years of frozen relations, bilateral ties were restored on August 8, 1990, whenthe Foreign Ministers of both countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations. The embassy currently operates from Jl. Mega Kuningan No.2, Jakarta Selatan, in the capital’s diplomatic quarter.

CMG Signs Media Cooperation Agreement with Antara News Agency

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On May 25, 2025, China Media Group (中央廣播電視總台) and Indonesia’s Antara News Agency (安塔拉通訊社) signed a cooperation memorandum during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s (李強) official visit to Indonesia. The agreement, witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Premier Li, was part of eight bilateral cooperation deals signed between the two governments. The memorandum establishes cooperation in content exchange, joint production, technical exchanges, and personnel exchanges between the Chinese state broadcaster and Indonesia’s national news agency. China Media Group, established in 2018, is under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. Antara News Agency, founded in 1937 by independence activists, operates as Indonesia’s national news agency with branches in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and other global locations.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Gives Interview to Singapore Media Outlets

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On September 8, 2012, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying (傅瑩) gave an interview to Singapore’s The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao (聯合早報) during her official visit. Fu employed typical Chinese diplomatic rhetoric, emphasizing “mutual benefit,” “win-win cooperation,” and “peaceful development” while describing China-ASEAN relations as “extraordinary.” She positioned China as exercising “self-restraint” on South China Sea disputes while arguing other parties made “provocations.” She framed China’s military modernization as necessary for “peaceful development” rather than assertiveness. Fu characterized U.S. “rebalancing” to Asia with cautious language about its “largely military” focus. The messaging reflected standard Chinese diplomatic communication patterns, presenting China as a responsible regional power while subtly critiquing other actors through measured phrasing designed for international media consumption.

Lianhe Zaobao

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Lianhe Zaobao (聯合早報) is Singapore’s flagship Chinese-language daily newspaper, formed in March 1983 through the merger of Nanyang Siang Pau (南洋商報) and Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日報), two of Singapore’s oldest Chinese newspapers dating to the 1920s. The newspaper was initially published by Singapore News and Publications Limited before becoming part of Singapore Press Holdings in 1984. Currently published by SPH Media Trust, the newspaper maintains a daily circulation of approximately 136,900 print and digital copies as of 2021. Lianhe Zaobao became the first Chinese newspaper to go online in 1995 and the first foreign Chinese-language newspaper authorized for public distribution in China in 1993. In 2019, the newspaper launched ThinkChina (思想中國), an English-language digital magazine focused on China-related content and analysis.