Highlights
By Zhu Jingning
The 6th China-Arab States Broadcasting and Television Cooperation Forum was held in Hangzhou's Linping district from Dec 9 to 11 to enhance the dialogue and cooperation between the Chinese and Arab media in the audio-visual industry.
More than 300 representatives from broadcasting authorities, media organizations, audio-visual enterprises from China and 15 Arab countries, and those from the League of Arab States and the Arab State Broadcasting Union attended the Forum.
The two sides have discussed on in-depth practices of policy communication, content cooperation, technological innovation and personnel training. During the forum, the participants adopted the joint declaration to carry out 50 audio-visual program cooperation projects.
Abdelrahim Suleiman, director general of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), believed that the collaboration with China encompasses a wide range of sectors. It is his aspiration that this collaboration in journalism between China and the Arab countries will be continued beyond mere forums or events, and will be extended into political, cultural, and sporting domains as well.
In recent years, a large number of excellent Chinese audiovisual works such as Minning Town and The Long Ballad have been broadcasted in the Arab countries, triggering emotional resonance among the Arab peoples. In the meantime, the broadcast of Arabic-themed audiovisual works in China has greatly enhanced mutual recognition and goodwill. The two sides have also carried out jointly made products, such as the cartoon Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi co-produced by China and the Arab countries and the travel program Divas Hit the Road Season V, to tell the China-Arab friendship stories. They are proved to be appealing to the audiences.
“The cooperation now between the Arab world and China is leading on a diplomatic level in the advanced and close relationship and on the level of media production whether is that of news stations or fundamental production,” said Yemeni director Taha Hussein, who was actively promoting his works at the scene. Next month, the film Chinese in Dubai, which he participated in filming and producing, will be released simultaneously in China and the UAE.
During the forum, 20 new achievements of the China-Arab radio, television and audio-visual cooperation were released, covering co-production, program broadcast, technology application and personnel exchanges, among other aspects. At the same time, the Forum held three supporting activities: the China-Arab Audiovisual Cooperation Achievement Exhibition, China Radio and Television Audiovisual Development Technology Exhibition, and China-Arab Excellent Programs Exhibition.