Modernization, unity seen as key to Sino-African ties

A participant at the 6th Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation & China-Africa Think Tank High-Level Dialogue learns about the production process of traditional lacquered fluttering fans, which are made using a technique based on a national intangible heritage, in Beijing on Wednesday. (WANG JING/CHINA DAILY)

Working together to realize modernization and strengthening unity among members of the vast Global South should be prioritized amid the looming challenges worldwide, said senior officials and experts from China and Africa.

They made the remarks on Wednesday at the 6th Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation & China-Africa Think Tank High-Level Dialogue, a key Sino-African exchange event held in Beijing. It convened ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which is scheduled in Beijing from Sept 4 to 6.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the event, Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that Chinese and African media organizations and think tanks are expected to tell great stories about China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and their shoulder-to-shoulder endeavors in the new era.

Li called on media organizations and think tanks from both sides to "make their voices better heard through various means", such as joint interviews, information exchanges, audiovisual cooperation and think tank dialogues.

They should "join hands to safeguard international justice and continuously bolster the representation and voice of the Global South", he said.

In a written message sent to the event, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, said that media organizations "play a role in bridging China and Africa to better understand each other's past and present", while think tanks "pool their experiences and offer advice on tackling behaviors that affect climate change, jeopardize global peace and security, and seriously undermine sustainable development".

He said: "Let the world hear our call for hope, resilience and progress. Let us together shape a future where the media promotes solidarity and shared prosperity."

Mahamat called for encouraging exchange programs and scholarship programs for media professionals, collaborative reporting, the use of data journalism, the establishment of media innovation labs, and an emphasis on multilingual support and improved translation capacity.

Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that both the Chinese path to modernization and the African path to modernization "are writing unprecedented chapters in history, and they are different from the West's modernization built on colonialism and looting".

"China is willing to work with African countries to support each other, collaborate vigorously, and join hands to promote the modernization process for the benefit of the people of China and Africa," Gao said.

The spirit of self-reliance and shared cultural memories have been giving a constant boost to mutual respect and amity between China and African nations, according to African dignitaries who attended Wednesday's event.

Noting that the Global South has a shared history, Thierry Lezin Moungalla, minister of communication and media of the Republic of Congo and a spokesman for the Congolese government, said that history should be "written by ourselves" through "our own languages, sensitivity, and cultures".

He added: "Because we have to live together in such a world and show solidarity, we have to build bridges instead of putting up barriers. New models of cooperation emerge from this."

Laurence Ndong, minister of communication and media of Gabon and a spokeswoman for the Gabonese government, said that China is a country that is popular among all ordinary people in Gabon, and the screening of Chinese martial arts films had a great impact on the Central African country from the 1960s to the 1980s.

"For our generation, we all grew up under the influence of the movie Shaolin Temple. We were all saddened by the departure of Bruce Lee, a lasting part in our memory. And we are also very familiar with Jackie Chan," she said.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Gabon diplomatic relations.

Noting that China is an experienced player at the forefront of the artificial intelligence sector, the minister said the two countries should work together in good faith to "prevent risks and seize the opportunities presented by AI", which Gabon needs very much right now.