Chinese, African media to cooperate

Media have the responsibility to tell authentic China-Africa stories, promote cooperation and strengthen ties, journalists agreed on Monday during a discussion about the role of the media.

More than 50 media representatives from China and Africa gathered in Beijing to discuss the media's role in building a China-Africa community with a shared future, following last week's 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, or FOCAC.

President Xi Jinping said during the opening ceremony of the summit that a China-Africa media cooperation network will be established, as the media represent one of the ways to "strengthen the bonds between the people of China and Africa".

Nimley Nicolas Dweh, editor of Liberia's NEWS newspaper, said that only through the participation of the media can the Chinese and African people understand FOCAC and promote the development of China-Africa relations.

He said the media need to produce more in-depth stories related to the achievements of the forum, such as in the fields of medical treatment, education and infrastructure construction.

Guo Lin from Beijing's Guangming Daily said the media have an irreplaceable role in providing authentic and informative news products.

"Currently, there is a big gap in reporting between the two sides, so we should work closer to make our voice heard by the world," he said, adding that the Chinese and African media should use the internet and produce more new media content.

Dweh suggested a training program for African journalists to more effectively communicate information related to FOCAC and China-Africa cooperation that will be beneficial for both sides.

Ahmed Hazem Samir Sayed from Egypt's Al Gomhouria newspaper said that strengthening media capacity and cultivating more talent is the next step in cooperation.

Ma Xiaoning from People's Daily said exchanging reporters can assist with mutual understanding.

"We are working to introduce Chinese stories to Africa, and more African stories should be brought to China," she said.