The Global South Media Partners Mechanism Inauguration Meeting and the 13th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) opened on Thursday in Xi'an of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, bringing together government officials and international media leaders to explore the media's role in global governance and issuing a call to work together to amplify the voices of the Global South.
Themed "Building Consensus for Shared Benefits: Media's Role in Global Governance," the forum has gathered more than 300 guests, including the heads of international organizations and media institutions from 40 countries and regions, as well as representatives from embassies in China.
The two-day event is jointly sponsored by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+), the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xi'an Municipal Committee, and the China Media Group (CMG) Shaanxi Bureau, with support from the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
The forum saw the official launch of the Global South Media Partners Mechanism, a new platform initiated by the CMG which aims to deepen collaboration among media outlets of the Global South, encourage practical cooperation, content sharing, professional training and joint productions, as well as foster dialogue and research among participating media partners.
It has been established under the guiding principles of promoting equal consultation, common development, and enhancing the discourse power of the Global South, with the initiative already seeing the participation of 528 media organizations from 114 countries and regions.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi each sent congratulatory letters extending their best wishes for the complete success of the forum and commending the launch of the new cooperation mechanism.
In a keynote address, Zhao Yide, Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress, stated that Shaanxi Province, while serving as the host location of the forum, is keen to further strengthen cooperation and exchanges with media organizations from various countries so as to achieve greater progress in the media industry and promote deeper mutual learning among civilizations.
Shen Haixiong, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and President of the China Media Group, stated in his speech that as the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, the Global Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping directly addresses the most pressing and urgent needs of the Global South countries.
He said the CMG initiated the establishment of the Global South Media Partnership Mechanism to work together with international media counterparts in exploring the media's responsibility in global governance, and stressed the importance of upholding journalistic professionalism, embracing the technological transformation, building bridges for dialogue, and focusing on development cooperation.
The CMG stands ready to work hand in hand with its Global South media partners to seize the opportunity to move forward together, contributing their shared wisdom and strength to build a fairer, more inclusive, and better world order, Shen said.
The symbolic moment of the launch of the Global South Media Partners Mechanism saw Chinese officials and media leaders join together on stage with other international guests including Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Abelrahim Suleiman, Director General of the Arab States Broadcasting Union, Juan Carlos Isaza, Executive Director of Latin American Information Alliance, and Anthony Greene, President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, to officially inaugurate the mechanism.
At the forum, international media representatives shared their views on topics such as the media's role and responsibility in global governance, achieving a more equitable global communications order, and advancing mutual learning among civilizations.
Omar Razzaz, the former Prime Minister of Jordan, stated that as a member of the Global South, Jordan firmly believes that unity and collaboration are the only way to meet the current challenges and seize opportunities. He noted that the Global South Media Partnership Mechanism enables media organizations from various countries to transcend regional and cultural differences and jointly enhance the international discourse power of the Global South.
Patrick Muyaya, Minister of Information and Media and Government Spokesperson of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stated that Global South media should shift from being mere observers of global narratives to instead becoming the main drivers of their own stories. He also believes the new Global South Media Partners Mechanism is not only a proactive response to the needs of the current era but also an important platform for enhancing the capacity of the media, deepening cooperation in content production, and stimulating innovation.
Nguyen Thanh Lam, President of Vietnam Television, said the mechanism will help Global South media further deepen mutual learning, experience sharing, and boost the co-creation of content, while amplifying voices of unity, responsibility, and innovation to global audiences.
Mederbek Shermetaliev, director of the Kyrgyz National Kabar News Agency, said that strengthening communication and cooperation among Global South media helps promote a more just and reasonable international communication order. He said the new Global South Media Partners Mechanism is committed to ensuring the voices of all countries are fully heard and promoting more balanced development of the global media landscape.
Agnes Nguna, Managing Director of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, stated that African countries are eager to use their own voices to tell their own stories and convey a true and comprehensive image of their nations to the world. She said she is confident the Global South Media Partners Mechanism will provide valuable opportunities for media outlets across the continent and allow Africa to "no longer whisper from the shadows," adding "we are no longer asking for a seat at a fire built by others, we have come to light our own fire."
Meanwhile, Jorge Luis Palenque, CEO and general director of Bolivia's Popular Radio and Television, said the forum has prompted all parties to rethink the role the Global South media should play in jointly building a more balanced media governance system.
Leaders from multiple international media organizations, mainstream global media outlets, and diplomatic missions in China also sent in video messages which were shown at the event, expressing their willingness to work closely with their Global South media peers, use dialogue to eliminate bias and make joint efforts to build consensus, thereby promoting a more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable media ecosystem.
A number of significant media cooperation outcomes were also announced or unveiled at the forum, underscoring the vast potential of the deepening partnerships among media organizations across the Global South.
Among these was the establishment of the Global South Media Training Center, based in Sanya City of south China's island province of Hainan, which has been developed through the CMG's collaboration with other media groups and universities, and aims to promote media talent exchange among Global South countries, cultivate professional ethics, and explore the adoption of technological innovations in news media.
Thursday's forum also saw CGTN officially launch three specialized channels on free advert-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms, offering a variety of programming to global viewers. The new channels -- CGTN Global Biz, China Travel and Discovering China -- will be broadcast 24/7 across 15 major international FAST platforms, reaching nearly 200 million viewers worldwide.
The findings of a global opinion survey research report titled "Global South's View of the World" were also released at the event. Following an extensive survey of over 9,000 respondents, it revealed that the global governance issues of greatest concern to Global South countries are poverty, food security, and safety, with over 70 percent of the respondents hoping for reforms to the global governance system.
The forum also saw the launch of another co-creation project titled "Global South Stories", which has already attracted talented creators from 73 countries and regions worldwide to share their unique perspectives. CGTN has also joined hands with media outlets worldwide to co-produce a special program dubbed "Global South Voices", aiming to break down discourse barriers and ensure the voices of the Global South are heard throughout the world.
In order to advance greater content sharing and joint technological innovations alongside its Global South media partners, CCTV+ has independently developed the Global South Media Nexus platform, which aims to utilize high-tech means to enable Global South media partners to enhance their operational efficiency.
The forum's host city Xi'an also unveiled the AI digital persona "A-Yong", which will promote the city via online platforms. Leveraging intelligent digital technologies, it can interact with global audiences across multiple different languages, introducing the unique charm and profound heritage of the ancient city to the world.
Established by CCTV+ in 2011, the VMF focuses on video content dissemination and technological innovations and serves as a key annual exchange platform for global media users and partners. The event has now evolved into a premier global forum, attracting extensive participation from media organizations and professionals worldwide.
13th Global Video Media Forum calls for amplifying voices of Global South
