Second India-China Media Forum Held in Beijing

By staff reporter XING WEN

The Second India-China Media Forum was held on February 1 in Beijing. Jointly sponsored by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) of China and India's Ministry of External Affairs, the forum attracted delegates from some 40 leading media organizations and scores of scholars from both sides.

Participants discussed the role of Chinese and Indian media as promoters and key players in strategic and economic cooperation. They also discussed the opportunities and challenges posed by the growth of new media.

In his speech at the forum's opening ceremony, Jiang Jianguo, minister of the SCIO, pointed out that Sino-Indian cooperation is creating new opportunities for media exchanges. He called on Chinese and Indian media to keep the trend of friendly cooperation in mind, and enjoined the media to report more on economic and trade ties. In addition, he proposed that media organizations in the two countries explore new channels for communication and collaboration.

Visiting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said in her speech that the media forum was envisaged as a platform to encourage appreciation and understanding of one another's societies. As strategic cooperation deepens, it is vital that both people have a good understanding of one another's interests and viewpoints.