China's media to go global

China is seeking to improve its global image by helping the country's main media organizations cover the world to raise understanding of China among the international community.

Wang Chen, minister in charge of the State Council's Information Office, made a speech at the symposium.[China.org.cn]

Wang Chen, minister in charge of the State Council's Information Office, said at a national symposium on international communication, which opened Thursday, that Chinese media should cooperate and compete globally with a "wider scope."

He called on media organizations to set up influential, information-rich and globe-spanning national media and to promote the application of new media in the Internet era.

International communication capability was an important tool of building the image of the country and a reflection of China's soft power, he said.

It would be impossible to show an authentic China to the world without strong international communication capabilities, he said.

China's major national media such as the Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television have already started to extend their networks abroad.

Xinhua is poised to build a global TV broadcast network and to increase its overseas bureaus from more than 120 to 200 by the end of 2020.

The symposium, with the theme, "Building China's Modern Communication System," is an authoritative theoretical workshop sponsored by the State Council Information Office and China International Publishing Group.

Courtesy: Xinhua, 27 Nov 2009