Boao Forum for Asia: A 'new era' of Asian media cooperation

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Media executives from around Asia have been discussing future cooperation at a conference in Sanya in South China's Hainan province. The conference came a day before the official opening of the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference. CGTN's Ge Yunfei reports.

There are 48 countries in Asia, the largest continent on earth. On Monday morning, over 140 delegates from media around Asia gathered for the Media Leaders for Asia Summit in Hainan province. The conference is billed as the start of a new era of Asian media cooperation with interconnectivity and innovative development.

LEE HUAY LENG, HEAD CHINESE MEDIA GROUP, SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS "The whole media world is going through a big change with all the breakthroughs in communication and technology. So it's very important for all the mainstream media to sit together to discuss future cooperation to better report the real news and facts."

Huang Kunming, Minister of the Central Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China gave a keynote speech. And Shen Haixiong, President of China Media Group, presided over the summit.

HUANG KUNMING, MINISTER CPC CENTRAL PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT "The only way to accord with the will of the people is to remain committed to an open and win-win strategy of cooperation.”

This year is the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up. Huang said China is willing to share its development outcomes with Asia and the world. Experts and media leaders also participated in a number of discussions.

LEE HUAY LENG, HEAD CHINESE MEDIA GROUP, SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS "In the past, news reports about China were very limited and always from a certain perspective. But now you can see a strong presence of China in the media world. From this you can see the influence of China's reform and opening-up to the world.”

PROFESSOR B.R. DEEPAK JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY, INDIA "I think it's very important for Asia's media to promote the successful development strategies to the world. It's very important in pushing forward the world economic and social development."

GE YUNFEI SANYA, HAINAN PROVINCE "The main theme of this year's Boao Forum for Asia annual conference is an open and innovative Asia for greater prosperity. Media leaders here hope their organizations can help make the continent a more open and innovative place through closer cooperation.”

After the opening ceremony, 19 media outlets from 12 countries signed 9 agreements on news sharing, joint interviews and media development. And 59 Asian media organizations from 32 countries released a declaration on further pushing forward the Belt & Road News Alliance initiated by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2017.

OKINNAKA SUSUMU, PRESIDENT & CEO ASAHI BROADCASTING GROUP, JAPAN "Personally I think media cooperation in Asia should extend beyond exchanging news materials to program exchanges. More exchanges of entertainment programs and documentaries would better reflect local people's lives and cultural traditions, which could promote mutual understanding among countries."

After the summit, media leaders will head for the opening ceremony of the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, waiting for President Xi Jinping's keynote speech. Ge Yunfei, CGTN, Sanya, Hainan Province.