A senior Chinese official has said that the Asian media should increase their influence to match the growing economic strength of the region. Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of Asia News Network (ANN), an alliance of 21 leading newspapers in Asia.
The senior editors were attending the Asia Forum 2010 in Beijing, which brought together government officials, business leaders and members of the media to share knowledge of climate change trends among Asian countries and the future of a green Asia.
Li said: “We have to recognize that in today’s world, the Western media has gained an upper hand in terms of influencing public opinion. As Asia’s economy continues to develop, the voices from Asian media organizations should become louder and stronger. I hope Asian media can be a bridge for mutual understanding of China and other parts of Asia.”
Li also pledged more information and transparency from government departments to help foreign journalists with their reporting. Many Asian news organizations will cover the upcoming Shanghai World Expo, which marks the first time a developing country has been given the right to hold a world exposition. Pana Janviroj, president of The Nation media group in Thailand and the executive director of ANN, said he appreciated the dynamism of the Chinese media. Source: Publicaffairsasia.com
