Written by Chen Libing / Translated by Wu Sheng

“This trip is a very important experience in my life.During the past 14 days, I made new friends, and acquired new experience and knowledge, including China-ASEAN media cooperation and the modern technology for China’s media development. At the same time, I gained a deeper understanding of Nanning. The people here are friendly, and I’ve already fallen in love with this international city. I look forward to coming to Nanning again during the 15thCAEXPO,” said Siththiphone, reporter of Lao mediaThe Pasaxon(The People), who attended the ASEAN Omnimedia Seminar 2018 in Nanning.

As a matter of fact, many reporters from ASEAN countries have the same feeling with Siththiphone. Since China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) was fi rst held in 2004,thanks to the various exchange activities including media seminars and the practical and effective media platforms provided by CAEXPO, media of all countries are enabled to present a true and panoramic view of CAEXPO. At the same time, with the continuous development and expansion of CAEXPO, they also hope to get more engaged in reporting CAEXPO, thus to tell the stories of CAEXPO and China-ASEAN cooperation well to the world.

Media reports benefited by CAEXPO

Since its inception, CAEXPO has showed the world that it is not only an international economic and trade fair between China and ASEAN countries, but also an important event for global media. Therefore, CAEXPO has represented a significant source for Chinese and international media to understand and report China-ASEAN cooperation.

During the 14thCAEXPO in 2017, a total of 1,442 journalists from 210 media agencies were involved in the reporting of CAEXPO, of which 116 journalists and 70 media agencies were from ASEAN and other countries. Many media had a live broadcast of the opening ceremony of CAEXPO, and publicized the economic advantages and business opportunities of China and ASEAN countries in the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) and the Belt and Road development.

“CAEXPO, with greater scale and more remarkable achievements year by year, plays an important role in promoting the exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, including Cambodia.At the same time, the CAEXPO Secretariat provided considerate services for media to report CAEXPO, and the stuff and volunteers accompanying the overseas press corps were hospitable and careful in their work.These left a deep impression on me,” said Phlong Vichet,reporter of Cambodia’sThe Cambodia China Times, in an interview withChina-ASEAN Panorama.

In addition to arranging for media coverage of CAEXPO, the CAEXPO Secretariat also encouraged more extensive, in-depth and concentrated media reports on CAEXPO by hosting media forums and setting up an omnimedia live broadcast center.

During the 12thCAEXPO in 2015, the CAEXPO Secretariat andChina Dailyco-hosted the “Focus on CAEXPO: Asia Media Forum”, providing a practical and effective platform for Asian media to exchange views on media development, and nurture a more favorable international public opinion environment.During the 14thCAEXPO, the CAEXPO Secretariat andGuangxi DailyMedia Group jointly established an omnimedia live broadcast center, which served as a platform to offer a live coverage of the opening ceremony of CAEXPO, and to launch a program called“Focus on CAEXPO 2017: High-end Interview” that brought together 11 guests from Guangxi and other countries, including Malaysia and Australia, to give their in-depth interpretation of CAEXPO. Besides, the CAEXPO Secretariat also produced HTML5 news that provided a “treasure hunt” of CAEXPO. With these efforts, it presented a panoramic and multidimensional view of CAEXPO in multiple ways, advancing mutual understanding and trust among people of different countries.

“With timely, prompt and authoritative news reports,the omnimedia live broadcast center has spread the strongest message about CAEXPO,” said Tan Sri Dato’Sri Lim Sing, Deputy President of Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia(ACCCIM), who has attended the CAEXPO for ten times.

The year 2018 marks the 15thanniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership and CAEXPO. The CAEXPO Secretariat will hold a series of publicity activities of CAEXPO, including press conferences,high-level interviews, exclusive interviews with celebrities, and public solicitation activities, so as to further enhance the influence of CAEXPO and create a strong social atmosphere to celebrate its 15thanniversary. It will also strengthen cooperation with Chinese and international media to publicize China-ASEAN community with a shared future, China-ASEAN innovation community, as well as the roles of Guangxi and CAEXPO in China-ASEAN cooperation and the Belt and Road development.

Media helping boost people-to-people bonds

Aided by the exchange activities and media platforms offered by CAEXPO, media work as a bridge to boost people-to-people bonds, telling the stories of CAEXPO well and deepening international understanding of China-ASEAN cooperation.

“15 years ago, there were few Chinese enterprises in Brunei. But now, benefited from CAEXPO, there have been a growing number of Chinese enterprises investing in Brunei in the areas of maritime transportation, communications and infrastructure.And media have played an important role in this process,” said Liu Guomin, reporter of Brunei’sUnited Daily News, adding that since China and ASEAN established strategic partnership 15 years ago, bilateral cooperation have been pushed forward.In the meantime, media have constantly expanded their coverage of CAEXPO, which increases mutual understanding of enterprises and people between China and ASEAN, and helps produce fruitful cooperation achievements.

Hao Heng, reporter of Cambodia’sJianhua Dailyfeels the same way as Liu Guomin. “Media serve as a communication platform in the 15 years of China-ASEAN dialogue relations, effectively promoting the exchanges and cooperation of both sides in economy,trade and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.Cambodian people now have a deep understanding of China as reports on China-Cambodia cooperation can be easily seen on Cambodian media,” said Hao Heng. He added thatJianhua Dailyhas attached great importance to CAEXPO in the recent decade, and will send reporters to Nanning to cover CAEXPO and China-ASEAN cooperation every year.

Omnimedia Live Broadcast Center at the 14th CAEXPO

It is worth mentioning that the year 2018 also celebrates the 60thanniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia, and Cambodia will be the Country of Honor for the 15thCAEXPO. In order to enhance CAEXPO’s influence and drive forward China-Cambodia cooperation, Guangxi People’s Broadcasting Station and NICE TV, a TV station under Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, signed an agreement on cooperation of transnational live coverage of “Cambodia at the 15thCAEXPO” in Phnom Penh on May 18, 2018, under which they will jointly present transnational coverage of the 15thCAEXPO.

“I look forward to the cooperation very much, and hope the involving parties can also focus their reports on‘Made in China’ and Cambodian featured products apart from the opening ceremony,” said Phlong Vichet, adding that the cooperation will increase Cambodian people’s public recognition of “Made in China”, and help publicize the national image of Cambodia, promote Cambodia’s competitive products, and strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation.