On November 17th, the China-Cambodia Media Senior Forum and the Third China-Cambodia Cultural Exchange Forum, jointly hosted by China Central Radio and Television (CCTV), the Ministry of Information of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Cambodia, were held in Phnom Penh. Cambodian Minister of Information,Neth Pheaktra, Vice President of CCTV, Hu Jinjun, and Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Wang Wentian, attended the forum and delivered speeches. Over 120 guests were in attendance, including leaders from more than 40 mainstream media outlets in Cambodia, representatives from Chinese enterprises, and delegates from various Cambodian government ministries. INNEWS CEO Amo was also among the attendees.
Chinese Ambassador Wang Wentian stated in his speech that the 2024 China-Cambodia Year of Cultural Exchange is on the horizon, making the hosting of the China-Cambodia Media Senior Forum and the Third China-Cambodia Cultural Exchange Forum very timely. The development of national relations relies on people-to-people understanding and cooperation. Media exchange is an important component of China-Cambodia cultural exchange. In recent years, media exchanges between the two countries have been frequent and fruitful, making them significant contributors and advocates for mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields between China and Cambodia. He hoped that journalists and media professionals would use this forum as an opportunity to continually enhance China-Cambodia media cooperation, deepen the cultural exchange between the two countries, and work together to create a China-Cambodia media community, contributing to the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era.
Vice President of CCTV, Hu Jinjun, mentioned that Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, outlined the grand vision of “working together for the next golden decade,” which also brings new missions, visions, and opportunities for media development in the new era. Hu Jinjun stated that the cultural ties and shared destiny between China and Cambodia are profound, and the pursuit of a better life and modernization is a common goal of the two peoples. In the path towards modernization, the media plays a special and important role. He expressed that CCTV is willing to work together with brotherly media to vividly document the splendid practices of China and Cambodia in implementing the “Diamond Hexagon” cooperation and building the “Industrial Development Corridor” and “Rice and Fish Corridor,” enhancing cultural exchanges in multiple fields between the two countries, benefiting the people of both countries, and contributing to the construction of a China-Cambodia community with a shared destiny.
Cambodian Minister of Information,Neth Pheaktra, emphasized that the media is an important force in disseminating information, shaping images, and influencing public opinion. Cambodian and Chinese media have a strong foundation for cooperation and ample space for collaboration, contributing positively to the construction of the China-Cambodia community with a shared destiny and promoting political trust, economic mutual benefit, and cultural exchange between the two countries. This year, the documentary “Smiles of Cambodia,” produced in cooperation between the Cambodian National Television and CCTV, showcased the fruitful results of high-quality cooperation between Cambodia and China in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Neth Pheaktra proposed that media from both Cambodia and China should strengthen strategic alignment, practical cooperation, cultural exchange, and talent training to bridge the friendship between the two peoples.
During the forum, a documentary video was screened, specially produced to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, reflecting the practical cooperation between China and Cambodia over the past decade in areas such as infrastructure, economic and trade exchanges, cultural exchange, and media cooperation. Attendees engaged in discussions on topics such as “Media Responsibility and Cultural Mission,” “How Technological Innovation Empowers Media Development,” and “How Media Can Tell the Belt and Road Story.”
2023 marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia and is also designated as the “China-Cambodia Year of Friendship.” The China-Cambodia Cultural Exchange Forum is an annual flagship event of the China-Cambodia Cultural Exchange Alliance. The forum is based on principles of mutual respect, win-win cooperation, mutual assistance, and inclusive mutual learning, aiming to establish a new normal of exchange and mutual learning between China and Cambodia and explore the construction of a sustainable China-Cambodia community with a shared destiny.
