China hosts media voices from 101 countries

China has launched its largest media exchange programme of the year, bringing together 109 journalists from 101 countries as Beijing ramps up efforts to strengthen ties with media professionals across the Global South.

The China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) programme opened at Renmin University of China in Beijing on Tuesday and will run for four months, combining training, field visits, discussions and cultural exchanges.

China's Assistant Foreign Minister and Director-General of the Protocol Department of the Foreign Ministry Hong Lei said the programme would provide journalists with an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of China and its development.

He said the journalists would begin a 100-day journey across China, describing the programme as a bridge between media professionals from Global South countries and China.

Mr Hong drew a comparison between China's past and present, recalling that more than 30 years ago, journalists travelling outside Beijing could spend dozens of hours on trains, while photographs had to be developed at shops and stories sometimes transmitted by telegram.

He said the journey from Beijing to Shanghai takes just over four hours by high-speed train, while smartphones allow journalists to shoot, edit and publish stories from a single device.

He described the transformation as not only an advancement in journalism but also a reflection of China's rapid development.

Mr Hong said the programme was intended to help journalists gain an intimate understanding of China's history and development and present what he described as a "true, multidimensional and panoramic picture" of the country through objective reporting and diverse perspectives.

China Public Diplomacy Association vice president Tong Xiaoling said journalism had an important role in bridging countries and connecting people.

She said media could help societies understand each other by relying on facts, reducing misconceptions and creating opportunities for dialogue between different civilizations.

Ms Tong said the CIPCC had, over the past 12 years, developed into a platform for international media professionals to observe and engage with China.

The programme has invited overseas journalists to undertake training and field visits, giving them opportunities to observe China's development first-hand, she said.

She encouraged this year's participants to move beyond established perceptions, explore China's approach to modernisation and gain a broader understanding of its culture, development and international engagement.

Meanwhile, Renmin University Communist Party secretary Zhang Donggang challenged journalists to maintain professional standards and provide reporting based on observation and verification.

He said journalists were "keen observers and chroniclers" of their times and had a responsibility to turn fragmented information into verifiable facts.

Mr Zhang outlined three expectations for the participating journalists: to document China from the perspective of the world, tell stories of mutual learning between civilisations, and connect China's development with global issues.

He said journalists should observe China's modernisation through direct experience and present its development with professional reporting.

For the first time, participating journalists will also stay on the Renmin University campus, allowing them to interact more closely with Chinese students and experience university life.

Editor's Note: Fiji Sun multimedia journalist Sosiveta Korobiau is among 109 journalists from 101 countries participating in the China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) four-month media exchange programme in China.