Ministers attending the sixth China-Africa Media Cooperation Forum in Beijing have called for amplifying shared stories and experiences to foster mutual understanding with China.
The event on Wednesday gathered over 500 representatives from government departments, media, think tanks and international organizations across China and more than 40 African countries.
Held ahead of the upcoming 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in early September, it provided a platform for participants to share experiences and explore new ideas for strengthening China-Africa partnership.
"I think it's important for the two people to know each other at the micro level. There's no better way for that to happen without the role of the media to make sure that content from China portraying Chinese culture, Chinese history, Chinese tradition is shown to the Gambian audience. Equally for Gambian history, Gambian culture, and Gambian development trajectory, and Gambian aspirations is shown to the Chinese audience, to also know the people they are friends with. This is very important," said Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information of Republic of The Gambia.
Participants at Wednesday's event also discussed best practices in the use of technology in media.
Many attendees believe there are lessons to be drawn from China's advances in technology.
"The relationship really between Zimbabwe and China did not start today. It dates back to the liberation struggle. It has been a relationship that has always been there. We've actually fought the war together from colonialism, imperialism, up to where we are. And this time around, we are talking of our development and you'll agree with me, that in terms of technology, China is at another level. And as a developing country, we're also learning from China, so that we get things going technologically," said Omphile Marupi, Deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services of Republic of Zimbabwe.
First launched in 2012, the forum has achieved more than 60 cooperation agreement projects, according to organizers.
African ministers call for more media exchanges with China
China's scientific expedition team on Thursday obtained critical ice cores during their investigation of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, which is known as Asia's "water tower".
The region encompasses "one glacier, two lakes and three rivers". It is home to Purog Kangri Glacier, the world's largest glacier in the mid to low-latitude regions, as well as Siling Lake and Namtso Lake, the largest and second-largest lakes in Xizang, respectively. It is also the birthplace of the Yangtze River, Nujiang River and Yarlung Zangbo River.
The climate in the region is complex and changeable, and its ecosystem is very fragile, and meanwhile it is a pivotal area for Xizang's economic and social development.
During their expedition, the team drilled for ice cores at different depths overnight on Thursday, aiming to capture climate records from different time scales.
Ice core drilling is typically conducted during the night and early morning when the ice temperature is sufficiently low.
Ice cores serve as vital records of global climate and environmental changes. The sediments and bubbles within these cores are clues to understanding the history of Earth's climate. By studying the bubbles captured in ice cores, scientists can analyze atmospheric composition, including carbon dioxide levels, over hundreds of thousands of years.
Yao Tandong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and leader of the expedition, and Lonnie Thompson, a renowned American glacier expert and foreign academician at CAS, conducted their scientific expedition on the glacier Thursday morning.
Through helicopter observations, thickness-measuring radar, satellite image comparison and other methods, the scientific expedition team has found that the surface area of the Purog Kangri Glacier has shrunk by 10 percent over the past 50 years.
The average altitude of Purog Kangri Glacier is 5,748 meters, with the highest point reaching 6,370 meters. Due to global warming, the glacier is melting rapidly.
"So does the melting of glacier surface -- the higher the altitudes, the less the ablation volume, while at lower altitudes, it accumulates and forms branch-like rivers on the ice surface. Currently, these branches extend up to altitudes of 6,000 meters," said Xu Baiqing, a research fellow of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research under the CAS.
Research indicates that the accelerated retreat of glaciers on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau over the past 40 years reflects a broader trend, and the melting rate of the Purog Kangri Glacier is relatively slow compared to the overall situation of the plateau.
The temperature changes within the glacier also attributed to the great difficulty of drilling, said Xu.
"Due to climate warming, the temperature within the glacier has risen, which suggests that under the same backdrop of temperature variations, the ablation may show abrupt shift with accelerating growth," said Xu.
The expedition was launched on Aug 18, 2024 and is scheduled to continue until October.
Scientists obtain critical ice cores during expedition in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau
