10th Anniversary of Belt and Road Initiative: Sharing Media Responsibility

Grégoire Ndjaka, the CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), highly commended the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for its tangible impact on the African continent. He expressed these sentiments during the 11th Global Video Media Forum in Beijing, which celebrated the BRI’s 10th anniversary.

China introduced the BRI a decade ago, and it has since led to productive collaborations. China has entered into over 200 BRI cooperation agreements with 151 countries and 32 international organizations.

The joint construction of the BRI, evolving from a Chinese proposal to a global consensus, has fostered worldwide connectivity, eliminating geographical barriers, as emphasized by Shen Haixiong, the vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and president of China Media Group (CMG).

As a significant outcome of the forum, CMG and 81 media organizations from 42 countries issued a Declaration on Joint Action to urge global media entities to work together and share resources, experiences, and technologies. The declaration underscored the importance of personnel interaction, deepening media cooperation, and collectively narrating the Silk Road story.

In the spirit of promoting media cooperation, the Global Partner Program and the Middle East Media Alliance cooperation mechanism were initiated, involving 18 media organizations from nine Middle Eastern countries. This collaboration has yielded multiple results, including the release of a documentary titled “The Call of the Silk Road” and a global short video showcase event featuring inspiring Belt and Road stories.

China has affirmed its commitment to make the BRI a “belt of development” and a “road to happiness” for people worldwide. The declaration highlights the necessity of harnessing collective expertise to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, address global challenges like climate change and food security, and explore solutions to common development issues.

Kora Nou, president of the Pacific Islands News Association, expressed the agency’s willingness to seize BRI opportunities and strengthen collaboration with CMG in content, technology, and digital innovation to foster a more interconnected world.