The second Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation opens

Cai Fuchao, Minister of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

The second high level official forum on China-Africa Media cooperation is being held on June 16 in Beijing. It aims to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the development of a new China-Africa strategic partnership.

More than 150 delegates from more than 40 African countries, as well as high level officials from the Chinese side are attending the forum. Leaders from the communication industry say that they plan to play a bigger role on the global media stage.

The theme of the forum is to "deepen cooperation and boost bilateral development."

Cai Fuchao, Minister of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said: "China and Africa forged an enduring friendship a long time ago. To promote China-Africa media cooperation to a new level and make new contributions to the development of the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership, I would like to make three proposals to further promote our new strategic partnership. First, we should strengthen unity and mutual trust and enhance international influence of media in developing countries. Second, we should promote communication between the two peoples to make China-Africa ties deeply rooted in people's heart. Last, we should innovate forms of pragmatic cooperation, promote mutual benefit and win-win development in Africa."

Dr. Fenella Mukangara, Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports of the United Republic of Tanzania, said at the opening ceremony, "May I take this opportunity to sincerely thank the government of the People's Republic of China for providing Tanzania's public service broadcaster with a modern outside broadcasting truck to strengthen its capacity to produce and distribute television programming."

The media forum was set up under the framework of the fifth conference of the forum on China-Africa Cooperation, held in Beijing in 2012. China is already involved in training journalists from Africa, and a proposed China-Africa press exchange center in China should see more visits between news correspondents from the two sides.

China and Africa's trade ties have strengthened over the years. Bilateral volume reached a new high of US$210 billion last year, with African exports to China rising to US$117 billion. Forum participants believe that more media cooperation will ensure a healthy China-Africa relationship.