The 7th China-Africa Media Cooperation Forum opened in Beijing on Thursday, with African and Chinese officials and media practitioners calling for stronger cooperation in broadcasting, audiovisual content, technology and professional development.
Themed “Share Development Opportunities, Shape the Audio-Visual Future,” the forum seeks to promote media cooperation and strengthen people-to-people exchanges between China and Africa.
In his remarks, Alhaji Mohamed Sarjoh Bah, the African Union’s Permanent Representative to China, said the creative industries could drive economic growth, create jobs and attract investment.
Bah called for deeper Africa-China cooperation in film production, broadcasting, animation, gaming, digital content and other creative industries, saying the sector could create jobs, attract investment and stimulate innovation.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that Africa tells its own stories, urging stronger partnerships between African and Chinese media organisations in content production and distribution.
The envoy also advocated responsible use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies and called for increased investment in youth skills, professional exchanges and knowledge transfer.
Director-General of the African Union of Broadcasting, Gregoire Ndjaka, said China-Africa broadcasting cooperation had produced tangible results through technology, equipment and training that have supported the modernisation of African broadcasting.
Ndjaka called for expanded cooperation in modern broadcasting technologies and professional training, while urging greater distribution of African audiovisual content on Chinese media platforms.
He said a more balanced flow of content would allow Chinese audiences to see Africa through African perspectives and strengthen mutual understanding.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, said the media had a critical role in reshaping perceptions of Africa and promoting greater ownership of the continent’s narrative.
She described Africa as resource-rich, idea-rich and youthful, noting the growing potential of its audiovisual industry to create jobs, support services trade and promote cultural exchange.
Eziakonwa urged African and Chinese media organisations to move from simply transmitting content to co-creating it, including through the use of artificial intelligence in African languages and contexts.
Delivering the keynote address, Cao Shumin, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of the National Radio and Television Administration, called for stronger two-way media cooperation and content exchange.
Cao said China-Africa media cooperation had contributed to people-to-people bonds through high-quality content and urged both sides to focus on technological development, professional exchanges and regular cooperation among media practitioners.
She noted that China and Africa had already co-produced audiovisual programmes and encouraged further collaboration, including the use of artificial intelligence in content generation.
The forum, which runs from August 19 to 21, also featured a release of achievements in China- Africa Radio, and an adoption of the joint declaration of the 7th forum on China-Africa Media
Supporting events such as the China-Africa audio-visual program exchange, the China-Africa Audio-visual Youth Cooperation initiative and the China visit program for Africa media practitioners will also be held alongside the forum.
Participants are expected to use the forum to deepen content cooperation, technological innovation and professional exchanges while strengthening China-Africa friendship and people-to-people relations.
