China News Service, June 16 (Xinhua Overseas Chinese Weekly) reported that a few days ago, the new crown was jointly sponsored by South African Independent Media and African Chinese Media Global Wide Area Media Group, South Africa China Economic and Trade Association, China Public Diplomacy Association, China Media University, etc. Under the pneumonia epidemic, the China-Africa Civil Diplomacy and Media Cooperation Online Symposium was successfully held, and nearly 100 people from all walks of life from China and Africa attended the meeting online.
Participants on the topic of "How to better strengthen China-Africa cooperation under the global background of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, give full play to China-Africa private power and media influence, and play a role for African countries to better fight against and prevent the new coronary pneumonia epidemic" Each expresses his own opinion and speaks freely. The meeting was chaired by Sifiso Mahlangu, head of the African News Agency. 17 guests including Li Nan, Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Nan Gengxu, Chairman of Global Wide Area Media Group, and Su Wei, Executive Chairman of Independent Media, were invited to give speeches. During the speeches, the guests were from academic research, non-governmental exchanges, media cooperation, etc. In-depth elaboration and analysis were carried out, and many insights were put forward.
Li Nan introduced the anti-epidemic action of China, South Africa, China and the international community, especially the special role played by civil friendship forces, pointing out that this fully embodies the brotherhood of China and Africa sharing the same storms and sufferings, and highlights the temperature and intensity of China-Africa civil friendship, And to build a closer community of shared destiny between China and Africa to build a solid foundation of public opinion. But at the same time, all kinds of rumors, fake news, and stigmatized remarks that incite hatred and split are very popular, and artificially cause the people to be emotionally opposed. Against this background, the China-Africa Media Think Tank has conducted in-depth exchanges through the "Cloud Conference" to discuss how to strengthen cooperation between the people's diplomacy and the media to help China and Africa fight the epidemic together. It is of great significance.
Nan Gengxu, chairman of Global Wide Area Media Group, said in his speech that under the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, non-Overseas Chinese should give full play to their advantages and use existing resources to help local epidemic resistance. He specifically mentioned the importance of the Chinese and African media in reporting the positive energy of the epidemic. He said that the Chinese and African media can work together to share each other's experience and views to fight against the epidemic. As a Chinese who has lived in Africa for more than several decades, he said that the Chinese community strongly opposed any form of discriminatory and strongly condemned the stigmatization of Western and local media against China and the Chinese community.
At the meeting, Wang Changan, President of the South African China Economic and Trade Association, introduced the background of the South African China Economic and Trade Association and its role in promoting the economic and trade development of South Africa. In terms of fighting the epidemic, he mentioned that the China Economic and Trade Association not only helps local people in South Africa fight the epidemic, but also actively encourages local Chinese communities to participate. China’s accumulated experience in fighting the epidemic can be shared with the African people.
Kuang Weilin, a former Chinese ambassador to Sierra Leone and former head of the African Union mission, said in his speech that China and Africa have always been partners of mutual help. China has provided epidemic prevention materials to more than 50 African countries, and has sent more than 40 medical teams to Africa to help fight the epidemic.
Zhang Wenzhou, executive deputy director of the Institute of Public Diplomacy of the Institute of Media and Public Affairs, Communication University of China, mentioned in his speech the important role of private institutions and overseas media in helping people understand the real China. In this difficult period, she proposed to establish a special department and hire professionals to focus on the communication between the media and the public.
Professor Bodumelo Senokane of the School of Anthropology at the University of South Africa mentioned the balanced relationship between China and Africa in cooperation. He said that in the presence of common interests, the relationship can be developed for a longer period of time. China is a true friend of Africa, and China and Africa need to treat each other equally.
During the meeting, the guests spoke enthusiastically and enthusiastically. The originally planned three-hour meeting lasted for more than four hours. Wu Changhong, foreign dean of the Confucius Institute at Western Cape University, Ni Yanshuo, chief reporter of China and Africa Magazine, and Asia University of London Experts and scholars such as Li Hangwei, a doctoral candidate for non-academic political and international studies, Anna M. Waswalk, a senior reporter from the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, and Li Xinxin, founder of the Egyptian-Egyptian Friendship Magazine Bimonthly, fully affirmed the positive significance of the conference and expressed their views from the conference. He was greatly inspired and looked forward to the meeting injecting more intellectual support to the further development of the relationship between China and Africa after the anti-epidemic cooperation.