CGTN Controller Jiang Heping emphasized the media's role of setting up a bridge for dialogue of Asian civilizations at the Forum on Global Influence of Asian Civilizations held in Beijing on Wednesday.

As one of the six parallel forums of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the forum invited government officials, well-known scholars, experts, media professionals and artists from Asia, Europe and the Americas as speakers, to explore the rich connotation and contemporary values of Asian civilizations, and discuss the new missions of Asian civilizations in the era of globalization.

Delivering a speech at the forum, Jiang said: "As a communicator, facilitator, participant, and contributor of civilization, the media should fulfill the mission of removing two barriers."

"First, we should clear away the hurdles between the ancient and the modern," he said. "Second, we should eliminate the barrier of mistrust and misunderstanding that plagues the communications between countries and regions."

He pointed out that each civilization has a distinctive worth of its own.

"We shall give voice to countries irrespective of their size and build a platform for diverse cultures and civilizations to share and compare notes," Jiang cited the President of China Media Group (CMG) Shen Haixiong's speech last year as saying.

"This insight sums up our view of civilizations as a media organization," he added.

At the forefront of CMG's international communications, CGTN has been an active player in international exchanges.

In December 2018, CGTN joined forces with leading broadcasters from Egypt, India, and Greece to produce the special program "Dialogue Among Civilizations." The TV hosts and guests from the world's four oldest civilizations shared their insights on the interactions between tradition and modernity. The show was broadcast in the four countries simultaneously, scoring six million views on new media platforms and over 11 million in topic quantity.

For the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, CGTN is presenting another joint production this time.

Along with the Arirang TV of the Republic of Korea, the News X of India, the Malaysian National News Agency, and the Azerbaijan State News Agency, CGTN offers in-depth discussions on the diversity and revival of Asian civilizations, the dialectical dynamics between civilization and economic development, and Asia's contributions to the world prosperity and stability.

"People-to-people exchanges and learning from each other enrich and invigorate civilizations," said Jiang, "Through our concerted action, we will achieve a synergy of the wisdom, consensus and strength of Asia."

(Top image: CGTN Controller Jiang Heping delivers a speech at the Forum on Global Influence of Asian Civilizations held in Beijing on Wednesday. /CGTN Photo)