The BRNN Council aims to help promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges among the BRI member countries, as well as to facilitate mutual learning.
CHENGDU: The Third Council Meeting of the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) held on Aug 29 marked a significant step forward in global media collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
In a keynote address, People's Daily president and BRNN chairman Tuo Zhen highlighted the remarkable achievements since the Second Council, emphasising the expansion of the network, which now includes 274 media members from 110 countries, covering diverse languages and regions.
This expansion underscores the network’s commitment to fostering dialogue, resource sharing, and news exchange among its members.
He outlined key accomplishments, such as the network’s robust media exchange programmes, including the Belt and Road Media Cooperation Forum and joint interview projects that attracted senior editors and reporters from more than 50 countries.
The success of these initiatives has significantly enhanced the Network's influence and representation across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
The People's Daily also played a pivotal role in promoting the network’s digital presence, with the network website offering news in 10 languages and the BRI's mobile news aggregation platform, which has achieved over 10 million global downloads.
Furthermore, the International Communication "Silk Road Award" was highlighted as a key initiative to recognise excellence in journalism within the BRI framework, with an impressive participation from 80 countries.
Representing Malaysia at the meeting, Star Media Group (SMG) chief business officer Lydia Wang emphasised the group's longstanding commitment to the BRI. Wang highlighted Malaysia's transformative projects under the BRI, which have bolstered the nation's infrastructure, education, and trade sectors.
SMG has been instrumental in sharing these success stories with the Malaysian public, ensuring widespread understanding and support for the initiative.
Wang: Over the years, the Belt and Road Initiative has brought huge transformative projects to Malaysia, enhancing our infrastructure, industry, education, and maritime trade.
In her speech, Wang recounted SMG’s efforts, including a photo exhibition and a commemorative coffee table book celebrating 50 years of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
These initiatives have not only showcased the tangible benefits of the BRI but have also reinforced the deep cultural and economic ties between Malaysia and China.
Looking ahead, she proposed three strategic areas for future collaboration among BRNN members: promoting technology knowledge exchange towards sustainability, organising joint events to build goodwill toward the BRI, and launching joint efforts to combat misinformation.
Wang's vision underscores the importance of media collaboration in fostering mutual understanding and driving positive narratives around the BRI.
The BRNN Council meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening global media ties, with a shared goal of telling the compelling stories of the Belt and Road Initiative and its impact on global development and cooperation.
