China’s president seeks to foster closer ties

The President of China Xi Jinping, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and close to 100 editors from around the region were present at the inaugural China- Latin America summit held in Santiago, Chile.

President Xi, who was on his fifth visit to the region, declared that both China and Latin America must come to a firm determination to foster cooperation and face the current global challenges.

In January 2015, Xi proposed that Chinese investment in Latin America will reach $US250 billion and bilateral trade volume US$500 billion in the next decade. And with strong financial ties taking place between both regions recently and further investment on the horizon, Xi noted that the media plays a vital role in promoting good relations between the parties to ensure it is a win-win situation for everyone. “We must support each other mutually.

Take advantage of technology and show the world what reality is in both countries,” he expressed.

He added that the media should be objective but assist in kindling enthusiasm and use the opportunity to cooperate and innovate.

The Chinese leader stressed that the only way for China and Latin America to trust each other is through mutual learning.

He believes one way of achieving this objective is for the media to conduct joint projects and declared he is welcoming more media into his country to set up stations there. He said exchange programmes are also essential so journalists can report first-hand on what they see and hear rather than rely on foreign reports.

He pledged to have 500 journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean working in China in the next five years to help improve the reporting on both sides.

Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said China’s presence in the region is indicative of its friendly relations with Latin America.

In a passionate speech laced with political meaning, she said more trade agreements need to take place, “This is the time to build bridges not walls. We share in your vision.” Zhang Tiezhi, Editor- in-Chief, Cankaoxiaoxi of the Xinhua News Agency, one of 32 media leaders who spoke at the summit, believes the biggest challenge to bilateral relations is the lack of mutual understanding due to the language barrier and media in both countries not investing enough to report accurately on each other’s region.

“One consequence of that is that some people in Latin America believe in the ‘China threat theory’ and fear Chinese investment,” he stated.

He said “both Chinese and Latin American media have the responsibility to report more about each other, and show their true situation comprehensively, objectively and independently.” Sun Yusheng, vice president of CCTV in China spoke of the need for Latin American media to not lean on Western media for information on China.

He believes Western media companies regularly shine a negative light on both regions and gave examples.

CCTV currently has 70 stations globally with more than 40 in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, which he argues is testament to their keen interest in being a truly global news agency. He noted following the incident involving US swimmer Ryan Lochte lying about being robbed in Rio at the 2016 Olympics, several Western media rushed to castigate the Brazilian government.

Instead, he said CCTV used surveillance footage and field interviews to show the truth to the Chinese audience. He said the 2010 calamity where Chilean miners were trapped underground for two months following an earthquake, instead of focusing on the accident, CCTV shone the spotlight on the intense rescue efforts of the Chilean Government.

He also cited a documentary done by CCTV America titled ‘Post-earthquake Health Care in Haiti’ displaying Haitian’s optimism for the future which won an award for Best Coverage of Continuing News Story at the New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards “unlike Western media’s obsession with Haiti’s poverty, backwardness and abject suffering.” He acknowledged that “Western media voices are louder” but says if Latin America and China collaborate they can get their stories told too and benefit each other.

Jorge Edgar Olmos Ortiz, Chief Editor of Telesur, Venezuela, was stern in his address, delving into the link between politics and the ills plaguing society.