Mr Li Hengtian, Deputy Director of the China International Publishing Group Training Center (CIPG), has called on the Media of both Ghana and China to act as the bridge for the two countries to promote exchange programmes.
He said reports by journalists act as the mirror for citizens of other countries to desire to visit another country, and that, such reports were used as a yardstick to judge if the countries were promoting peace and development.
“If your reports are good, bringing out the cultural values and mirroring the happenings in the country, it will promote tourism, education, industralisation and exchange programmmes among others, between our countries.”
Mr Li was speaking to 19 Ghanaian media professionals at the just ended 2018 seminar programme in China.
The 2018 Seminar for Media Professional from Ghana, organized by the CIPG with support from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM), held in Beijing, China, aimed at enhancing friendship and cooperation between Ghana and China and also promoting human resource development as well as social and economic development.
The major activities of the training included lecturers, workshops, study tour and excursions.
Topics discussed related to China’s development, its social and economic policies and measures, especially the achievements and lessons learned since China’s reform and opening-up as well as topics that related to the economic and social relations of both Ghana and china.
Mr. Li said the media could really play a role in the socio-economic development of any country, and in the same way, they could destroy the development progress based on the kind of news the churn out.
He said he believed China, as a country, had made progress with its development, despite criticism from outside media, adding that, “We insisted on our own way of development. No matter how doubtful others see China’s development, we believe we have made progress with our own media projecting the development agenda. After 49 years of closing up to the rest of the world, we have made great achievement in our own way”.
He urged Ghanaians to uphold the peace prevailing in the country, saying, “Peace and development is how the world can progress today and I believe Ghana and China share that view”.
“We want to cooperate. Nevertheless, we will respect the difference,” Mr Li said, and also praised Ghana’s rich culture.
He urged African countries to develop their own political system, with the media pushing the agenda for progress.
“I believe in the future of Ghana-China development because we need each other for progress,” Mr Li said, adding,
“The role of media professionals from Ghana is not different from the role of the Chinese media. The functions are the same, therefore, there is a responsibility for all media professionals and we need to make the bridges for the country to country exchanges to be a reality”.
Mr. Jin Xupeng, a training supervisor of the Department of International Communication Center, Beijing, China, called on the media to work together to enhance the friendship between Ghana and China.
He called for more cooperation between the media of Ghana and China by way of exchanging news.
Mr. Kofi Ohene Benning, Assistant Human Resource Director of the Ministry of Information, who led the media professionals to the seminar in China, recounting the stay said, “We have experienced new media technology and we have explored China’s tourism sites, and we have been exposed to more than our expectation.”
He expressed appreciation to the Chinese media houses and training team for their hospitality and assistance throughout the training programmme.
Source: GNA