Sino-German media group focus: online, international news

BEIJING - A China-Germany media dialogue was held in Berlin on May 7, focusing on social media and the role of international news in the spread of globalization.

It was the seventh media dialogue between the two countries jointly sponsored by the State Council Information Office of China and the German Foreign Ministry.

The topics of this year's event were "Globalization and Media Role" and "International News in the Era of Social Media".

Andreas Michaelis, state secretary of the German Foreign Ministry, said at the opening ceremony of the dialogue that in the economic field, China is Germany's biggest partner in Asia and one of its most important partners anywhere around the world.

Last year witnessed frequent high-ranking exchanges between the two countries, and dozens of dialogue frameworks have boosted bilateral exchanges, Michaelis said.

"In the backdrop of rising trade protectionism globally, this dialogue is of special significance nowadays," Michaelis added.

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the SCIO, said at a keynote speech that since the two countries are important information producers and consumers, the development of media in both countries provides a solid foundation for cooperation and exchanges.

"The China-Germany media dialogue has become an important annual event for media practitioners of the two countries to exchange ideas and strengthen cooperation," Guo said.

Guo added that Chinese and German media should be committed to consolidating China-Germany strategic partnerships, fostering bilateral trade and economic ties and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

"We should promote economic globalization, support free trade and fight against protectionism, and we should also discuss on how to report international news during a time of widespread social media," Guo said.

More than 40 media practitioners and experts took part in the dialogue. Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde also attended the opening ceremony.

Established in 2011, the China-Germany media dialogue is an annual government-to-government exchange mechanism that is held in Berlin and Beijing in turns.

Xinhua - China Daily

(China Daily 05/25/2018 page7)