China's Boao Forum highlights need for Asian media cooperation

The Media Leaders Roundtable is held at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 23, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Media outlets across Asia have participated in a roundtable at this year's Boao Forum for Asia on China's southern island of Hainan, to discuss new prospects for Asian media cooperation.

The roundtable invited over 20 media leaders from 15 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, who have joined the proposed Asian Media Cooperation Organization.

The director-general of China Radio International and the chairman of the roundtable Wang Gengnian pointed out that even though Asia has already become a driving force of world economic development, its international media voice is not strong enough.

"Asian economic integration has provided various platforms for Asian media cooperation, as the steady growth of the Asian economy is also asking for stronger media power. Asian media companies should work together to share their experiences and recount the stories of Asia, and help the Asian voice be heard in the international community."

The director general of the National Television of Cambodia Kem Gunawadh believed one of the main challenges for Asian media cooperation is a lack of an overall management group.

"Just as in external publicity works, some media companies are used to the method of communication, while others favor the idea of promotion. In either case, in order to gain public acceptance and respect, a media company needs to improve its public trust and influence. Therefore a media cooperation organization is needed to discuss certain principles to regulate journalism."

Co-sponsored by the Boao Forum, China Radio International and the China Public Diplomacy Association, the Asian Media Cooperation Organization is based on the Silk Road Initiative passed during the 2015 Boao Forum for Asia.

This year's event was the 4th annual roundtable discussion and consensus was reached on the charter, service scope, an operation model, and funding sources of the Asian Media Cooperation Organization, as well as discussing ways the Chinese government's Belt and Road Initiative can affect media coverage in the region.

More than 100 countries and international organizations have now signalled their intention to be involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

This year's theme at the Boao forum for Asia is Globalization & Free Trade: Asian Perspectives, and the former prime minister of New Zealand Jennifer Shipley said the world's media has a responsibility to clearly convey the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"As a former leader, but also as a person who is deeply excited but deeply concerned about how we make globalization something to be proud of and excited by, rather than to fear, the worldwide media has a critical role. It is no good for us to believe in a one belt and one road strategy of inclusion and connectedness, if the world's media does not explain and then inspire the listeners and observers of those possibilities."

Media from Brazil, Russia and Thailand are among the newest members to join the Asian Media Cooperation Organization.