On January 22, South, Guangdong's Flagship International Media Gateway operated by Nanfang Media Group (Nanfang Daily), announced the inaugural 2025 White Dolphin Cup · International Communication Outstanding Cases and unveiled the list of 2025 International Communication Strategic Partners.
Headquartered in Guangdong with a global focus, South’s distribution network encompasses a multilingual news website, a mobile application, overseas social media accounts, and partnerships with international media outlets.
Expert expects South to play greater media role at APEC 2026
The South Think Tank, established in 2024, is a key initiative by Nanfang Media Group to build a more effective international communication system.
Professor Zhong Zhijin, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Sun Yat-sen University and an expert for the Think Tank, presented an inaugural report on South's achievements in 2025. She reported that South has amassed over 20 million global users and followers and maintains connections with approximately 1,000 media organizations via the Maritime Silk Road Media Cooperation Platform.
According to the report, in 2025, South achieved full coverage of its city channels across all 21 Guangdong cities, making Guangdong the first province nationwide to achieve comprehensive international communication coverage at the city level.
The report also highlighted South's content series, such as "Inside China," "China Pop," and "Brothers in Arms," which broke through cross-cultural barriers and achieved phenomenal international reach. For instance, China Pop is tailored specifically for Generation Z on the global stage. Through video products featuring young journalists, it showcases the latest trends in China's high-tech products.
Acting as a bridge, South held 42 events in 2025, introducing Cantonese cuisine, trendy toys, and wine to countries like Portugal and Japan, thereby fostering vibrant cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding.
Looking ahead to the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, Professor Zhong expressed hope that South would partner with more entities, produce more quality content, and better share stories from China, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Guangdong with the world.
"White Dolphin Cup" cases showcase innovative international communication practices
The South Think Tank launched the "White Dolphin Cup· International Communication Outstanding Case" collection in December 2025.
Named after the Chinese White Dolphin, which symbolizes friendly and agile navigation across diverse cultural oceans, the initiative sought exemplary international communication practices. The South Think Tank, jointly with research bases from several top universities, reviewed 116 submissions and selected 20 outstanding cases unveiled at the conference.
Chen Si, Deputy Director of the International Communication and Press Release Division of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, shared insights into city-level international communication.
She noted that in 2025, South's Guangzhou channel published over 1,000 articles, with 82 exceeding 100,000 clicks. She anticipates deeper collaboration with South around APEC meeting in 2026 to showcase Guangzhou's multifaceted appeal.
Joining hands with strategic partners to promote international communication
South also unveiled 12 International Communication Strategic Partner for 2025 at the event.
"South's international vision, professionalism, and understanding of Lingnan culture were particularly instrumental in helping the 2025 Southern China Book Fair step onto the international stage," noted Weng Xuhui, Deputy General Manager of Guangdong Xinhua Issuing Group.
Weng expressed hope for even deeper, more systematic cooperation with South in the future.
Wu Wanxin, Content Director of Macau Lotus TV, highlighted South's establishment of a reporter station in Macao, which facilitates timely and accurate information exchange between Guangdong and Macao.
Looking ahead, she identified cultural tourism as a promising area for collaboration, proposing co-produced short drama projects to showcase Macao's cultural heritage.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia, Chen Siyuan, Zhang Ruijun
Video Script | Chen Siyuan, Zhang Ruijun
Video Editor | Liang Zijian
Cameramen | Liang Zijian, Qin Shaolong
Poster | Lai Meiya
Editor | Ouyang Yan, Hu Nan, Ou Xiaoming, James Campion, Shen He
