Xinjiang hosts 2025 SCO Media Cooperation Forum

China

Xinjiang hosts 2025 SCO Media Cooperation Forum

2025-05-24 01:45 Last Updated At：16:27

The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries opened on Friday in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with the aim of strengthening media collaboration among SCO member states.

The forum, themed "Building a Better Home Together for a Prosperous Future," brought together more than 300 representatives from mainstream media, senior editors, journalists, and officials in charge of news affairs from 26 countries, including SCO member states, observer countries, and dialogue partners, to discuss cooperation.

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as media cooperation, the community of a shared future, and innovative development.

A report titled "Common Home: Public Opinion on the Development Visions in SCO Member States" was released at the event.

Sohail Khan, SCO deputy secretary-general, praised the forum's role in bringing people and nations closer together.

"Holding this important function for media here is very important, and it has been a long time overdue because media is a medium where people connect with them (each other) through ideas, through mutual understanding, through more friendship, and more public diplomacy," he said.

The forum's agenda included the opening ceremony, a media dialogue session, and the launch ceremony of a youth cultural exchange camp. After the forum, Chinese and international media representatives will conduct joint interviews across various parts of Xinjiang.

Scenic areas stage special programs to boost nighttime economy

Scenic areas in China have rolled out special nighttime programs to attract tourists and boost consumption.

At Jiayu Pass in northwest China's Gansu Province, the starting point of a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) section of the Great Wall, a performance featuring historical tales and rounds of Chinese classical dances is put up with the assistance of advanced visual effects technology.

For over 600 years, the pass safeguarded diplomats, merchants, and other travelers along the Silk Road. Today, the ancient and once battle-scarred fortress stands as a thriving symbol of civilization.

A nearby scenic spot, which opened this month, also attracts a great number of visitors with various interactive activities.

"There are many traditional folk games, and my friends and I all took part in them. It was truly a rewarding day, with an amazing immersive experience. It's absolutely wonderful," said Zhao Tiantian, a tourist.

In Danjiangkou City of central China's Hubei Province, scenic areas hold concerts and fish lantern parade to treat tourists.

Tourists could also watch performances in vessels while they enjoy a nighttime travel on the Hanjiang River, a major waterway in the city and tributary of the Yangtze River.