The China-aided parliament building and government building in the Tajik capital city of Dushanbe will become new landmarks embodying the new symbols of cooperation between China and Tajikistan.
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Friday attended the inauguration of a new parliament building and a government building aided by China in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
Entering the parliament building together, the two heads of state viewed the presentation boards introducing the China-aided project, and jointly unveiled plaques for the two buildings.
The new parliament building stands 50 meters tall, reaching 70 meters including the dome, and covers a total area of 43,000 square meters. Both this building and the new government headquarters were constructed by Chinese firms, showcasing the latest collaboration between China and Tajikistan.
"Since the beginning of the construction, I have been working in this facility, together with experienced Chinese engineers who used the highest quality technologies and materials to construct this building," said Bobokhon Amirzoda, construction manager of the new parliament building.
The government building, located just a few hundred meters from the parliament building, covers a total area of 46,000 square meters, slightly larger than the parliament building.
"We are deeply honored and very proud to contribute to the development of the friendship between the Chinese and Tajik people," said Zhang Tongyi, general manager of China IPPR International Engineering.
Most materials, from lights to columns, were shipped here from China. The company said that each of these is carved from one single slab of stone. In fact, some 10,000 tons of stone from China were used for the two buildings.
The auditorium in the building can accommodate up to 800 people for meetings. These intricate Persian-style carvings are a prominent feature in the interior design of many famous Tajik buildings.
"The intricate designs of the interior finishes and the facade were done jointly by Tajik and Chinese teams," said Zhang.
Now, the two buildings are set to perform important functions in Tajikistan's governance and administration.
China-aided landmark buildings represent new symbols of China-Tajikistan cooperation
Senior representatives from major regional news media organizations, gathering at the ongoing 12th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) in China, say they are looking to amplify the voices of the media in the Global South to help consolidate cooperation and friendship in an ever more challenging global environment.
The forum opened in Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, bringing together 200 media representatives from over 60 countries and regions in the historic coastal city.
By working more closely together, media organizations in the Global South can reap rewards that might otherwise be unavailable, according to Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union.
"If we work together, there is an opportunity for us to bring out the best from these Global South countries who have much less resources," he said.
Other media representatives at the VMF stressed that in challenging times, it is even more important for developing countries to have their voices heard on the global stage.
"[The Global] South media have a lot of responsibility to build a new opinion," said Issoufou Sare, Director-General of BF1 Television.
"[The media can provide] solutions for misunderstandings or stereotypes. So the media have a major role. They can bridge our cultures and make us know each other better," said Feten Fardi, head of Arab and International Cooperation Unit, Arab States Broadcasting Union.
The event also witnessed the launch of the "Global South Media Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism and Joint Initiative," a program to support closer cooperation led by China Media Group.
"That will help to promote our voices, our realities to make the world know better about our customs, realities, about our history, about our culture, customs, about our problems, but also our achievements," said Martin Hacthoun, chief editor of Press Latina News Agency.
The two-day VMF is being held under the theme "Intelligence Without Frontiers, Vision Beyond The Horizon -- Media's Role in Communication and Cultural Exchange."
Launched by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) in 2011, the VMF is an annual professional journalism forum focusing on the latest trends and innovations in news and journalism, which provides a highly specialized, unique and interactive platform for domestic and foreign media peers.
Media groups aim to amplify voice of Global South at VMF
