Chinese media to get funds to expand overseas
By IANSWednesday, January 5, 2011
BEIJING - In a move aimed at presenting “true picture” of the country to the world, China will give more funds to media outlets, particularly those targeting overseas readers, in the next 10 years.
China will invest more in mainstream media organisations to better present a true picture of the country to the world, Liu Binjie, director of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said.
A range of plans, such as encouraging mainstream media organisations to set up more overseas stations, have received financial support from the central government, Liu told China Daily.
“As China is enjoying higher international status, our mainstream media organisations are having greater influence worldwide too,” he said.
Last month, China Daily, the national English-language paper, launched a weekly European edition that hit British newsstands and a fresh new Asian edition that covers a group of Asian countries. State broadcaster China Central Television launched its Middle East Regional Center in the United Arab Emirates with the opening of its office in Dubai.
Apart from official media, more Chinese publications are also seeking to broaden their overseas readership.
By the end of last year, Chinese books and periodicals had entered national libraries in 193 countries, according to GAPP figures.
Unlike years ago, when foreigners showed particular interests in traditional Chinese culture such as Chinese kungfu and Chinese medicine, China’s modernisation and economy are now attracting more attention in the international community, Liu said.
“An increasing number of Western countries are expanding trade with us,” he said, adding that in the future, China will publish more biographies and literary works to cater to the overseas market.
The domestic publication market has also thrived in the past five years, Liu said.
Meanwhile, the restructuring of government-owned publication houses has also been progressing smoothly. From 2005 to 2010, all of the 148 publication houses owned by central government departments had finished their restructuring and become companies.
