Reporters and editors attend the media forum of the second China-Eurasia Expo in Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, on Saturday. Wang Jing / China Daily

China and its neighboring countries urgently need to strengthen media cooperation to increase their international reach and better inform the world about the region, officials said on Saturday.

"International opinions are still mostly led by Western media. Voices coming from developing countries are relatively weak and not heard as much. Therefore, media exchanges among China and its neighboring countries are expected to help balance the situation," Wang Guoqing, deputy director of the State Council Information Office, said during a media forum.

The forum is part of the second China-Eurasia Expo, which opened in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, on Sunday. Reporters and editors from six countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, attended the forum.

Media organizations can help countries communicate with each other more effectively, build mutual trust and eliminate misunderstanding, Wang said. The media need to realize their social responsibilities - to present the country in its true perspective and promote stability, Wang added.

"The media play a very important role in promoting a country and bringing neighboring countries together. Sometimes it works more effectively than diplomatic channels," said Javed Akhtar, a news editor for Independent News Pakistan. "As China's neighbor, Pakistan people want to know much more about the potential of Xinjiang. The current media coverage is without a doubt not enough."

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He said the media could even become a strong weapon against terrorism. "The government should keep passing messages to the terrorists via media that the country is strong and they can never achieve anything."

Ghulam Mujaddid, adviser to the director-general of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, said the media play a key role in communication among governments.

"I might be able to meet China's ambassador to Pakistan three times a year, but how about the ordinary people? So the best way for the Chinese government to get its messages across to Pakistan's people is through us," Mujaddid said.

He said PBC and China Radio International are working together to set up a new 24-hour radio channel to mainly cover news in China. The channel is expected to be launched in November.

"Most of the time, developing countries learn about each other from a third party, which is normally Western media. We need to create direct contacts through media corporations to eliminate the barrier," said Xu Ying, deputy director of the international bureau of the State Council Information Office.

How to adapt to new media is also one of the hot topics at the forum. Xu encouraged Chinese media organizations to use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to reach a more global audience just as foreign organizations use Chinese micro blogs to target Chinese people.

"We cannot underestimate the power of Twitter and Facebook, and Chinese media organizations should learn to use them as tools to lead people's opinions. The opportunity is right in front of us, and we must take it," he said.

Xu said the government of Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, has registered its Twitter and Facebook accounts, and achieved great communication with international followers.

Jamail Farid Kbir, a reporter from Ariana Afghanistan International TV, said the media infrastructure in his country is poor, and the best way to reach the people is still radio. But Afghanistan media must enter the era of new media, he said.

"I would love people to come to Afghanistan to see for themselves rather than having the impression about the country through Western media. As a TV station, our role is to present to the world the real Afghanistan, good or bad," he said.

cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/03/2012 page4)