Media gets a new look at Chinese companies in Africa

It was the first time Lucas Liganga, a journalist for The Guardian in Tanzania, got involved in a joint interview with Chinese and African media outlets for Chinese companies in Africa.

After interviewing three Chinese companies in Tanzania, Liganga had new ideas about Chinese companies in Africa.

"Chinese companies are doing serious businesses here, bringing us new technologies and creating jobs. My impression on Chinese and Chinese companies is very positive now," he said.

Liganga used to have the opposite opinion. He said he tried to interview some Chinese companies in Tanzanian before but never got any chances. "I knew Chinese companies are doing business here, but they should be more open to foreign media."

Liganga is among the more than 40 reporters from about 30 media outlets from China, Tanzania and Kenya that joined a 7-day interview tour of Chinese companies in Africa.

Organized by China's State Council Information Office, event participants will visit Chinese enterprises and academic institutions in the two African countries, including CRJE East Africa and Sunshine Group in Tanzania and the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center in Kenya.

During the opening ceremony on Nov 28 in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, Sun Zhijun, vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said, "Media cooperation is an important bridge for China and Africa to enhance mutual understanding and promote friendship. At the same time, stories of Chinese enterprises in Africa will bring more Chinese investment to Africa, which will promote and strengthen economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa."

He noted that over the years, under frameworks like the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, media houses from China and Africa have had rich and fruitful exchanges and cooperation.

He also put forward a three-point proposal to deepen media cooperation between China and Africa, namely China and Africa should make efforts to compose a new chapter of China-Africa friendship, to expand space for media cooperation and to carve out a new realm of China-Africa media development.

Nape Nnauye, Tanzania's Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, said, "The media is playing an important role in bridging the gaps between the people of Africa and China. Besides media also has an important role to play in publicizing and promoting the investment opportunities in both China and Africa."

Chinese media can work with African counterparts to consolidate the basis for cooperation and broaden areas of cooperation to take China-Africa media ties to a new level, he added.

During the ceremony, CCTV French also inaugurated a documentary program "China and Africa: Rowing the same boat for 60 years – 60 portraits for the 60 years of Sino-African Friendship" to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa in 2016.