China and Africa media seek greater voice internationally

Participants at the seminar on China-Africa media Co-operation held at the Crowne Plaza in Nairobi (PHOTO: COURTESY)

By Richard Kerama

NAIROBI, KENYA: “We should work together to have a greater voice”. This was the overriding message at the seminar on China-Africa media Co-operation held at the Crowne Plaza in Nairobi, on Monday November 18, 2013. 

Media experts and stakeholders argued that there is a need for greater co-operation amongst Chinese and African media. The experts were drawn from China and African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Guided by the theme “Enhance China-Africa Media Co-operation for Shared Dreams”, participants discussed the respective positions and roles of Chinese and African media in the world; the current situation of China-Africa media co-operation, its opportunities and challenges; how to enhance the global say of Chinese and African media; and how to further promote China-Africa relations in order to realise shared dreams through media co-operation.

The seminar was organised by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Kenya and the Inter Region Economic Network in line with the China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Plan. The event was conceived under the aegis of the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation. It was graced by the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology of Kenya, Mr Joseph Tiampaty, and H.E. Liu Guangyuan, the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya.

Ambassador Liu announced that China plans to set up a “China-Africa Press Exchange Center” in China and invited African media to set up offices in China to acquire first-hand information. “With first-hand information, Chinese and African media have the capacity and responsibility to comprehensively introduce China-Africa traditional friendship and mutually beneficial co-operation in an impartial, rational and positive manner. They also have the responsibility to clarify false comments that maliciously slander China-Africa relations and put forward feasible and constructive suggestions to safeguard and promote the friendship between China and Africa,” Mr. Liu said.

He said Chinese and Africans were eager to know more and learn from each other as a vital opportunity for the China-Africa media co-operation to flourish.

The ambassador acknowledged efforts of the 1.3 billion Chinese working hard to realise the ‘Chinese Dream’ of national renewal and pointed out that it was similar to the one billion Africans committed to the ‘African Dream’ of gaining strength from unity, as well as achieving development and rejuvenation.

He averred that Africa has become an integral whole with shared destinies and urged the media to work together realise both peoples’ Dream. He made three key proposals:

First, break up the monopoly of the international discourse power. China and Africa need to make our own media bigger and stronger to have an objective and impartial voice in world opinions, and strive for a bigger say for China, Africa and all other developing countries.

Second, report China-Africa friendship objectively and positively. The traditional friendship between China and Africa is very precious and deserves good care from both sides. In recent years, with the rapid development of China-Africa co-operation, good news and fresh problems are constantly emerging, and compliments and suspicions have arisen altogether. This is normal. We should note that most of the misunderstandings are attributed to insufficient communication, lack of understanding and cultural difference.

Third, serve the common development agenda of China and Africa. The co-operation between China and Africa in energy, infrastructure, modern agriculture, manufacturing, tourism enjoys broad prospects. However, it is restrained by factors such as information asymmetry, and blocked channels. Chinese and African enterprises are facing practical difficulties in conducting co-operation. The Chinese and African media fully understand the development of the Chinese and African enterprises, and know the latest trends and authoritative information. Therefore, they should play a better role of catalyst in expediting China-Africa co-operation.              

Kenya’s acting Director of Information, Mr. Olewe Owiti lamented that Africa and China have in the past been victims of negative reports by international media which have in turn shaped the world’s perception of the two.  “Media co-operation between Africa and China provides a powerful platform to address media imbalance that has resulted from domination by Western media,” he said.

The seminar ended on a high note with participants acknowledging the great potential and broad prospects that lie ahead. They pledged to play their rightful role in ensuring the ‘Chinese Dream’ and ‘African Dream’ are achieved through strategic partnership through the media.