Spokespersons highlight role of information sharing in building consensus, deepening China-CEEC cooperation

Spokespersons play an active role in enhancing people-to-people bonds and boosting cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, participants at the 4th China-CEEC Spokespersons Dialogue said on Monday in Beijing. Timely sharing of information, they said, can facilitate consensus-building, further consolidate people-to-people bonds and inject momentum into bilateral cooperation.

They made the remarks, as more than 20 spokespersons and communications professionals from China and CEECs gathered at the Palace Museum, where the first such dialogue was held in 2017, to discuss how information sharing can advance modern governance across nations and drive mutually beneficial cooperation.

Mo Gaoyi, director of the State Council Information Office, emphasized that deepening experience-sharing and dialogue exchanges is crucial for fostering mutual understanding and common progress between China and CEECs.

China's news release mechanism took shape at the beginning of reform and opening-up in the late 1970s and has been continuously improved along with the advancement of Chinese modernization, he said.

"To date, China has put in place a multi-tiered framework to conduct frequent, high-quality news releases, delivering official information in a timely manner," he added. Provincial-level and ministerial-level departments held more than 3,500 news conferences in 2025 — an average of 10 per day, according to Mo.

For China, news release, after over 40 years of practice, has become a fundamental institution of modern governance and an essential component of the national governance system, he said.

He stressed that the timely release of official information has never been more critical amid a volatile global landscape, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, or AI, technologies, and profound shifts in media ecosystems.

As both China and CEECs place high importance on news release, Mo expressed hope that spokespersons from both sides will strive to foster a comprehensive and objective mutual understanding between the peoples, thereby helping to facilitate deeper China-CEEC cooperation.

The modernization processes of China and CEECs are highly aligned, leaving broad space for high-quality development cooperation, Mo said, urging both sides to continue strengthening pragmatic collaboration and sharing experiences in news release systems.

Ivan Maric, spokesman for Croatia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, stressed that nowadays government communication is no longer limited to issuing statements. "It is about explaining policy, responding to crises, correcting misinformation and building trust with domestic and international audiences," he said.

"Communication requires accuracy, accountability and security, and the same principle guides communication between countries," he said, citing a clear message sent by Croatia to both international and domestic audiences — the country respects the one-China policy, and supports constructive and practical cooperation with China in both bilateral and broader formats, including the China-CEEC framework.

"Public communication is strongest when cooperation becomes concrete," Maric said. He highlighted the Chinese-built Peljesac Bridge in Croatia as a prime example of bilateral cooperation, and added that people understand such cooperation because they can see it, touch it, or even drive through it.

Sharing their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges presented by AI for news release, participants at the dialogue called for closer cooperation and continuous innovation in communication practices.

Gong Xian, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that news briefings serve as a vital bridge linking authorities, media, industries and the public, and should embrace intelligent technologies to keep pace with the times.

He said that AI can strengthen news release efforts in three ways — refining expression to suit audiences across different online platforms, enabling algorithm-driven targeted distribution of information, and providing smart monitoring systems for accurate public opinion analysis.

Yet Gong warned of emerging risks, including deepfakes and disinformation that erode official credibility, calling for balancing advancement and security to keep AI under reliable control.

Describing AI as not just a technological tool but also an organizational and strategic challenge, Matija Miklavcic, head of media affairs for the secretary-general of the National Assembly of Slovenia, stressed that "the real question is how institutions can integrate these technologies in a way that strengthens efficiency, improves access to information, protects information quality and maintains public trust".

"The future lies not in replacing human expertise, but in combining human judgment with the capabilities of AI," he said. "Used responsibly, AI can help communication services work faster, analyze information more effectively and provide better services to citizens."

However, he stressed that transparency, accuracy, accountability and professional oversight must remain at the center of institutional communications.

"If we maintain these principles, AI can become a valuable partner in supporting the work of modern parliaments and public administration," he added.

As part of the dialogue program, the foreign spokespersons will also visit Zhejiang province and Shanghai.