China on Tuesday proposed a string of thematic lines, including a focus on counter-terrorism, for the development of media, in tune with the growing clout of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping on the international stage.
During his opening address at the first BRICS media summit, Liu Qibao, Politburo member and publicity head in the Communist Party of China (CPC), advocated better media coordination among the five countries on counter-terrorism, elimination of poverty and hunger as well as climate change.
The media summit was hosted by China’s Xinhua News Agency and co-chaired by The Hindu group of publications, Empresa Brasil de Communicacao S/A-EBC of Brazil, Rossiya Segodnya of Russia and South Africa’s Independent Media.
Mr. Liu stressed that the five-nation grouping needed to focus on ways to improve “international economic governance,” and address “global challenges”. He also called for “long- term growth,” based on a “new type of global partnership”.
New global order
His advocacy of a stronger and decisive intervention by the BRICS on the global stage was amplified Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui. The BRICS countries are “protectors of current international system,” “constructors of international peace” and “promoters of a new type of international relations”, he observed during a follow-up address. Mr. Liu, on his part, proposed that the media in the five countries needed to take a conscious decision to project the “image of BRICS as leaders of world economic development”.
The media summit focused on two additional themes — integration of traditional and new media, as well as establishing an institutional architecture for the development of journalism in the BRICS countries.
The Beijing Declaration issued at the end of the conference noted the profound changes that were brought about the rapid development of the Internet and digital technology on the global media environment. “
The summit also yielded a six-point agreement on institutional development in the BRICS countries. This included: establishing a BRICS media foundation, a liaison office that would coordinate summit activities, training of media personnel, and coordination of BRICS media covering G-20 summits, holding a photo exhibition along BRICS summits and setting up BRICS Media Journalism Awards.
Focusing on the training aspect, N. Ram, chairman and publisher of The Hindu group of publications said during a meeting of core organisers on Monday that media training “is going to be the key” in building a BRICS talent pool.
