ACC Secretary-General Attended the First Silk Road Media Cooperation Forum and Delivered Remarks

On 24 October 2016, the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and the Organizing Committee of the 2016 Nanjing World Historical and Cultural Cities Expo jointly held the First Silk Road Media Cooperation Forum in Nanjing. Representatives from mainstream media from the One Belt One Road countries attended the forum. The ASEAN media delegation on a reporting trip to China on the theme of “Jointly Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road” were also invited to the Forum.

Mr. Zhou Mingwei, Director of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Mr. Si Jinquan, Vice-Minister of Jiangsu Provincial Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of CPC, Ms. Cai Lixin, Director-General of the Publicity Department of CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony of the Forum and delivered speeches.

Mr. Zhou Mingwei said, the strengthening of connectivity among the media in One Belt One Road   countries, the inheriting and bequeathing of the spirit of friendship and cooperation of the Silk Road with an aim to carry out cultural exchanges across the board is a positive response to Belt and Road initiative. This favourable reply to the demands of the people of relevant countries will help lay a more solid foundation in public opinion for multi-lateral cooperation. The Forum, being held timely to follow the general development trend of One Belt and One Road countries, set up an important platform for media cooperation among different countries. He hoped that all parties will make concerted efforts to move forward practical cooperation of media for early success.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping outlined the progress made in of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and the fruitful achievements of ASEAN-China media cooperation over the past 25 years. She said that ASEAN is a priority in the Belt and Road Initiative. To promote mutual understanding among the people is a vital ingredient of the Belt and Road construction. Media plays the crucial role in being a bridge in facilitating cross-cultural exchanges. She made proposals to enhance ASEAN-China media cooperation, including to spread positive energy for friendly cooperation, to build new platforms for exchange and cooperation and to make good use of new technology. She promised that ACC will continue to serve as a one-stop information and activity centre and promote media exchange and cooperation, so as to make greater contribution to the Belt and Road construction and the deepening of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership.

The theme of the Forum was “Media Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative”, on which the attendants held discussions around two topics, namely, “new opportunities and new challenges of media cooperation in the joint construction of the Silk Road” and “media’s role in promoting understanding of the people”.