The 5″ Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation, held from August 25 to 26, 2022, saw the fostering of a new vision to achieve common development and greater international influence of media. The Forum was held in Beijing, China in a combined online/offline mode and was co-hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration of China, the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and the African Union of Broadcasting. More than 240 delegates from the government departments, media institutions, audio-video enterprises, diplomatic missions from China and 42 African countries, the African Union Commission and the African Union of Broadcasting attended the forum.
President Xi Jinping of China and President Macky Sall of Senegal sent messages, in which they spoke highly of the Forum’s conducive role in advancing the dialogue and cooperation between Chinese and African media, promoting mutual learning between the civilizations, and deepening the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. The messages will provide new impetus to China-Africa media Cooperation in the new era.
Zambia’s Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government Spokesperson, Ms. Chushi Kasanda virtually joined other African Ministers of Information and Media experts at the 5th China-Africa Media Cooperation Forum.
During the meeting, Ms. Kasanda said the Government of Zambia has placed considerable importance on the environment for the media to grow. She said Zambia’s media industry continues to grow with over 100 radio stations and over 50 television stations currently on air. Ms. Kasanda also informed the meeting that Government is promoting the development of home grown content for radio and television stations.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation. In looking back on the fruitful results, both sides have achieved over the past decade, Government departments of both sides have established regular effective communication channels to enhance understanding of each other’s policies and ideas. The Satellite TV Project for 10,000 African Villages has been acceleratory to the development of the broadcasting sector in Africa, and a benefit to the African people. China also carried out a series of training programmes for African media professionals to share practical knowledge and strengthen personnel exchanges. Cooperations between the two sides are becoming more and more effective and expanding to greater depth and new areas, including new media and new technologies. Successful collaboration in the media field has become an integral part of the overall China-Africa cooperation, and has made vigorous contributions to the all-round development of China-Africa relations.
In the face of COVID-19, Chinese and African media have promptly assumed their social responsibilities and jointly carried out coverages of the fight against the pandemic. An online dialogue between Chinese and African media was held in October 2020 successfully despite the impact of the epidemic, further boosting the confidence in cooperation and consolidating consensus on the fight against the disease.
The world today is undergoing great changes never yet seen over a century. Setting foot on a new starting point, new developments in the media field that serve China’s Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of all African countries are to be supported. A new trail in China-Africa media cooperation by implementing the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation- Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024) to be pursued, building on content creation and technological innovation and boosting convergent media development and digital economy.
Guided by the spirit of encouraging letters from leaders of Africa and China, both sides look forward to embracing a new decade of even more vigorous China-Africa media cooperation. The cooperation will be able to make new contributions to the building of a China-Africa community of shared future in the new era, so as to achieve stronger, greener and healthier global development.
