Enhance Media Exchanges and Cooperation to boost Global Common Development Speech at the Opening Session of Asia Media Summit 2017 Qingdao, June 6, 2017
President Ali-Askari,
Director Chang Jin,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Good morning!
In this lovely season of midsummer, flowers blooming like a piece of brocade. I’m delighted to come to the coastal city of Qingdao, with representatives from 48 countries and 7 international organizations, for the opening session of Asia Media Summit 2017. Let me begin by extending warm congratulations on the opening of the Summit. I’d like to convey sincere greetings and best wishes to all the distinguished guests coming from afar, as well as participants from the Film Capital Summit!
President Ali-Askari,
Director Chang Jin,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
Good morning!
In this lovely season of midsummer, flowers blooming like a piece of brocade. I’m delighted to come to the coastal city of Qingdao, with representatives from 48 countries and 7 international organizations, for the opening session of Asia Media Summit 2017. Let me begin by extending warm congratulations on the opening of the Summit. I’d like to convey sincere greetings and best wishes to all the distinguished guests coming from afar, as well as participants from the Film Capital Summit!
Asia Media Summit is a grand gathering of international media initiated by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. Since its inauguration in 2004, it has been given full support by various governments, media outlets and relevant international organizations, and become a vital platform to deepen media cooperation and enhance people-to-people exchanges in Asia. With “Media in New Era for Global Development” as its theme, Asia Media Summit 2017 will pool wisdoms on how to make contribution to the implementing of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and how to accomplish the mission and fulfill the responsibility of creating a prosperous Asia and building a harmonious world.
The world is in an age of great progress, great transformation and profound changes. In this increasingly multi-polar, economically globalized, digitized and culturally diversified world, the pace of reform and innovation are gaining momentum. The world is also in an age of challenge. Global growth requires new drivers, development needs to be more inclusive and balanced, and the gap between the rich and the poor needs to be narrowed. Deficit in peace, development and governance poses a daunting challenge to mankind. In the speech delivered this January at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his proposition: build a community of shared future for mankind. And it was adopted in by an UN resolution. At the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held last month in Beijing, President Xi Jinping made it clear that we shall build the Belt and Road into a road for peace, a road of prosperity, a road of opening up, a road of innovation, and a road that connects different civilizations. These shining ideas are the vivid reflections of building a community of shared future for mankind.
Media is better placed than never before to bring the grand vision of building a community of shared future for mankind to reality and plays an irreplaceable role in this process. Today, information diffuses to an unprecedented wide range of the world at a speed faster than never before, wielding a colossal impact on the world. To some extent, the opinions media voice and the image it depicts is an important channel for cross-cultural communication, and profoundly shape people’s perspective on different countries and the world. With countries becoming more interdependent on each other and globalization facing challenges, the call in the international community for mutual trust and understanding for win-win cooperation is getting strong. This is exactly a moment when media shall function as social lubricant and stabilizer. Now there are numerous challenges yet to be overcome. The global economy is far from full recovery. Tough battles are to be fought to improve people’s life. Populism is raising its ugly head again. The specter of social conflicts is looming large. To meet all these challenges, the media shall work for the smooth expression of public opinion, safeguard public interest, and help to make people have a sense of gain and happiness. And there are more trials ahead. Challenges with global impact rise one after another. Regional wars and conflicts have never diminished. Terrorist threats continue to exist. There is still market for musty ideas like civilizations are destined to clash with each other. The media shall promote the harmonious coexistence of different civilizations in the world by building consensus and diffusing conflicts. We need now more than ever to deepen media cooperation so as to open a window to the world, build a bridge between hearts of different peoples, strengthen ties between nations and friendship between peoples, and inject more positive energy and warm force into sustainable development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
China is the most populous developing country in the world. Over the past 68 years since the founding of the People’s Republic, and especially over the past 40 years since the reform and opening, we have, based on our national conditions, found a development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, lifting our country from abject poverty to the second largest economy in the world. With the reduction of people living in poverty by 700 million and remarkable progress in education and public health, China has take the lead in reaching the UN millennium development goals.
The development of China has not only increased the well-being of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, but also given strong support to the cause of global development. Four years after the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, over 100 countries and international organizations have supported and got involved in this initiative. Nearly 70 countries and international organizations signed cooperation documents, and major progress has been made in a number of landmark projects. Last November, China submitted to the General Assembly of the United Nations our National Plan on Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which 17 sustainable development goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues were stated. Guided by the principles of innovation, harmonization, green, openness and sharing, we will carry forward our sustainable development while unswervingly promoting the building of the new model of international relationship that features win-win cooperation. We will remain committed to developing a friendly and mutual cooperation with other countries. We will give full support to the developing countries for the implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development so as to bring fresh opportunities to global development and to achieve shared development.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the role of the media in society, and actively encourage and guide media to promote national development, serve public interest, maintain social stability, and gather the endeavor force. We have built a modern network of radio and television that covers more population than any other in the world. We have carried out the village-to-village project and household-by-household project, and launched agricultural, scientific, educational, and public health programs to ensure the fair distribution of public cultural service. The radio and television services have covered up to 98% of the Chinese population. In many remote areas stricken by poverty, it is through radio and television that the kids get a glimpse of the wonders of the world, share resources of culture and knowledge, and incubate their colorful dreams. We constantly make innovation on new media communication, and vigorously push forward the program of Internet plus.
Steady progress has been made in media convergence. The Chinese media is now getting more digitalized, more interconnected and smarter than ever before. The quality and overall strength of the programs have witnessed constant improving. We always believe that media shall assume social responsibility, care for the well-being of the mankind, act as guardian of social conscious in news reporting, and promote socialmorality. We always oppose to the idea of rushing for economic interests. We have engaged in extensive cooperation with world media, bilaterally and multilaterally, in news reporting, content production, information technology, human resources development etc. to enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of the world and build a bridge for the exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
China is a member of the world family, and a member of the Asia family as well. Guided by the policy of fostering an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood under the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, we have been committed for years to bringing harmony, security and prosperity to neighbors andsharing our development achievements by developing cooperation with other Asian countries.
Facing the future, Asian countries are increasingly developing into a highly interdependent community of common destiny. Deepening media cooperation, which meets the interests of all countries, is an important component of promoting regional cooperation to a wider range and a deeper level and will play a more significant role in realizing United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this connection, I wish to make the following three proposals.
First, shoulder social responsibility, and gather strength for common development. In the present era, media’s radiation effect in the areas of international politics, economy, society and culture exerts profound influence on people’s thoughts, work and daily life. All kinds of media need to forwardly enhance their social responsibility, follow the basic rules of press, and disseminate true, accurate, comprehensive and objective information, take full account of differences in nature conditions, cultural tradition and national conditions in Asian countries, and respect the right of all countries to independently choose their development paths. Media should also take the responsibility of creating a harmonious atmosphere and a favorable international environment for implementing sustainable development goals, expanding people’s understanding, recognition and participation in sustainable development, and promoting all the countries to carry out sustainable development goals based on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”.
Second, deepen mutual beneficial cooperation, compose a chapter of mutual benefit and win-win results. Media cooperation includes not only the collision of thoughts and communication of contents, but also the development of media industry and the linkage between policies. Asian media with their distinctive characteristics have huge potential for pragmatic cooperation. Asian countries should further improve bilateral and multilateral dialogue and exchange mechanisms, strengthen policy communication, form communication ideas and policies that fully embodied with Asian features and mixed with eastern and western culture. We should also actively conduct cooperation in news exchange, joint interview, co-production, dubbing and broadcasting each other’s programs, media technology, as well as media industry and capacity building. Asian media need to rely on each other to demonstrate an energetic, comprehensive and true Asia to the world, join hands to enhance their discourse power and influence, and let the Asia voice be heard on important issues of world peace and development.
Third, boost people-to-people bond, build a bright brand for cultural exchanges. In history, Asia has nurtured numerous ancient civilizations. Through communication and mutual learning, different civilizations formed an inclusive family, which contributed to the progress of human civilization. Today, diversity remains as one of Asia’s valuable assets. Media in Asian countries need to adhere to the idea of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win result, establish a communication platform for people to appreciate different civilizations, enhance mutual understanding and tolerance between different cultures, promote mutual respect and equal negotiation in politics, complementary advantages and win-win cooperation in economy, mutual learning and principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences in culture, and create a bright future for human society.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,
Qingdao is an international seaport, which is the 7th largest port in terms of cargo handling capacity. A large amount of freighters depart for the vast ocean every day. Someone describes media professionals as “masthead man” on the ship of society. This reminds me that the entire society is just like a sailing ship with every country on board, and every media is a crucial part of it. Only by working together and helping each other can we reach the other side. I believe, through our joint efforts, we can start a new stage of media cooperation, convoy Asia to a community of common destiny and contribute to the implementation of 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the building of human destiny community.
Asia Media Summit 2017 now begins. I wish the Summit a full success.
Thank you!
Madam Liu Yandong
Vice Premier, State Council of the People’s Republic of China
