On the morning of May 20th (local time), the Guangdong-Egypt Media Exchange Conference, hosted by GDToday of Nanfang Media Group and co-hosted by Egypt's China Weekly News, took place in Cairo, Egypt.
Representatives from seven Egyptian media outlets publishing in Chinese, English, and Arabic, including Al-Bawaba News, Rose Al-Youssef magazine, October Weekly, and Egyptian News, engaged in discussions with delegates from GDToday on deepening cooperation between Guangdong and Egyptian media and establishing a new platform for cultural exchange. Together, they witnessed the official launch of the Greater Bay Area Chinese-Arabic Media Content Platform.
A representative from GDToday stated that the platform will collaborate closely with Egyptian media, think tanks, and other institutions. It aims to showcase China's business environment, particularly in the GBA and Guangdong, and share with the Arab world compelling stories about China's path to modernization, practical cooperation between China and Egypt, as well as between China and Arab countries, and the growing mutual understanding and friendship between their peoples. These narratives will be conveyed through an integrated and localized communication approach that is more vivid and better tailored to the audience.
Al-Bawaba News, one of Egypt's leading Arabic-language media outlets, holds considerable influence in the Arab media landscape with a wide audience in the Arab world. Ahmed Abdel-Allah Fares, Secretary-General of the Arab and African Affairs Associationunder the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate and the Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bawaba News, stated that in the process of media cooperation between Egypt and China, the top priority is to convey the images and aspirations of the people from both sides to their respective audiences in a true and objective manner. "We can leverage rapidly evolving technologies to build digital platforms that empower collaboration between Egyptian and Chinese media, enhance mutual understanding, and improve communication efficiency," he added.
October Weekly, founded in October 1973, is one of the two most prominent periodicals in the Middle East. This weekly magazine covers various fields such as politics, economy, and social life, with a particular focus on major international issues in the Middle East and around the world. It wields significant influence not only in Egypt but also across the Arab world and the broader Middle East region. Atef, the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine, believes that in addition to conducting joint interviews and ensuring information sharing, the platform can also establish mechanisms for reciprocal visits, exchanges, and training programs among media professionals from Egypt and China. Such initiatives would foster mutual understanding and deepen bilateral cooperation.
China Weekly News in Egypt is the only comprehensive Chinese-language media outlet in the Middle East and Arab regions with official publishing credentials. In 2017, it launched the Arabic-language news app "Middle East Headlines," establishing a bilingual (Chinese-Arabic) communication matrix. The outlet has become an important channel through which the Arab world gains insights into China."Nanfang Media Group demonstrates a high level of professionalism in news production, technology, and infrastructure," said Guo Fang, the deputy director of external relations at China Weekly News, who expressed great confidence in future cooperation and her expectations of establishing regular and project-based collaboration with GDToday.
GDToday Reporters | Xie Miaofeng, Guo Hongda, from Cairo, Egypt
Editor | Zhang Xuanzhen (intern), Li Lan (intern), Wei Shen, James, Shen He
